All About Growing ‘Wester’ Mushroom

Hello friends, I greet you all in a fresh new year with this post. The first week of this year is already behind us. Winter vacation ended and the schools have started in full swing. Taking advantage of the weekend, I’m typing this. Whenever I come across something worthwhile, always like to tell you about them. It’s about mushroom farming.

You might think that what’s so new about mushroom farming? When it is undertaken by an old retired couple right in theire own house, then the process takes a whole new dimension. When I got to meet the septuagenarian man, being introduced by my hubby, he invited us to see his project. I immediately agreed, curiosity and excitement filling up my mind.

Getting ready to sprout

When I reached there, found a four storied house. He took us to the first floor, his wife greeted us. They have six kids but all of them flew the nest after taking up jobs and getting married. The man showed us the produce of mushroom which was kept to be sold to a supply chain.

Friends, I was expecting button mushrooms but they were of different variety! He called them ‘wester mushroom ‘ as it looked like a jhinuk (a bengali term for oysters ). Then I came to understand that he is talking about oyster mushrooms which grows in a cluster.

Baby mushrooms ready to grow up!

I have tasted the kind, once in a restaurant and other time the next door lady gave us a dish of it. Both the time my tastebuds were not very encouraging towards it, so my interest to buy them and learn about it’s farming waned a little. Yet for civility’s shake, I purchased some. Then he took us to the 3rd floor. I was imagining some kind of beds, but there were several objects hanging from the ceiling. The room were closed devoid of any ounce of sunlight, only lit by yellow bulbs.

I recalled that mushrooms don’t require sun light for photosynthesis, just draw their prepared food from dead organic matter (saprophytes). The atmosphere looked very eerie to me, the hanging obgect looked like zombies peering at us! When I focused on them, I saw the clusters of mushrooms in various stages of their growth, sprouting from the specially prepared set ups, which primarily appeared to me like a bundle of rice stalks.

In their peak.

He confirmed it be so and many other things added to it, which is essential for their proper growth. It was indeed a painstaking job to take proper care of them, he informed. I was amazed to see such hardwork and devotion from a person who had enough money to spend his retired life, doing nothing. Yet he chose to take up the challenge and is coming out really successful.

The mushrooms and the man!

Adding to this, he is also undertaking a makeover of a land parcel in front of his house, owened by his friend. It was lying unused, so he took his friend’s permission and started growing vegetables and flowers in it. It was really commendable. Such a creative and profitableuse of his spare time, which is quite abundant for him!

Friends if every body channel their spare time in a constructive way,  people would become much more cheerful and energetic. Shall we all not take inspiration from him to engage ourselves creatively, whatever we create might give us a lot of satisfaction. Just like I got while writing this piece to you. Your comments and reviews give me sustenance to continue.

Wishing you all a very happy,  crative and healthy new year. Adieu for now.

P.C.- My hubby.

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