- project leader
- Deana W
- location
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13832 Joseph Campau(Campau/Banglatown)
- latest update rss
- Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
the project
At The Mushroom Factory we’re alway seeking ways to innovate creatively and collaborate meaningfully. One of the collaborations we’re most proud of is our partnership with other Detroit-based farms and businesses. We grow our mushrooms on their waste materials—sawdust, cardboard, brewers grain. Then we give our own spent mushroom blocks to other farmers as compost to improve their soil quality.
We like extending the useful life of these bulk materials, and the positive response to our farm’s system has been overwhelming. We want to do even more, but these spent materials are heavy, and currently we’re limited by what our arms can lift and carry. A forklift will allow us to dramatically increase the amount of these materials we process and move them more efficiently. It will help us do our job much better.
the steps
- Saturday, May 26, 2018 - Forklift Safe Operator Training at Detroit Training Center
- June 2018 - Purchase forklift! Start lifting, hauling, and giving new life to more than 1 ton of spent materials every week!
why we're doing it
Our work at The Mushroom Factory is guided by a simple phrase: OPEN SOURCE, CLOSED LOOP. This is is how we sum up our approach to farming, food, and business. We’re transparent about our methods and mindful about our use of resources. The Mushroom Factory blends traditional mushroom cultivation practices with modern technology in an effort to be as efficient and sustainable as possible.
Our dedication to creative reuse goes beyond growing our mushrooms on spent materials. We've located our farm in a formerly vacant warehouse and are working to clean up and cultivate the surrounding vacant lots. We're proud to live and work in Detroit, and are striving to make The Mushroom Factory into a place where farmers, gardeners, students, and citizen scientists can gather to collaborate, learn and grow. Thank you for helping us increase our capacity and achieve our goals.
budget
Original Budget
- 5000 lb. Capacity Electric Counterbalance Forklift (used) - $3950
- Forklift Training and Licensure (for two employees) at Detroit Training Center - $300
- Forklift transport and delivery - $250
Project Subtotal: $4500.00
ioby platform fee: $35.00
ioby payment processing fee: $135.00
Project total: $4670.00
updates
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Posted 07/18/2018 - 10:37am
Hello friends, family, and community,
Thank you for the generosity you brought this campaign! We're humbled and overwhelmed by your willingness to support us through this endeavor—we feel so loved and grateful. The Mushroom Factory building is almost done. We're working on final stages of the build-out—finishing the floors, installing shelving—and we're on track to harvest our first mushrooms from the space by August.
It has been a long journey since we hatched the idea for our business in 2014 and purchased the farm building in 2016. Being business owners has challenged us in unexpected ways and, honestly, the whole process has been harder than we anticipated. That makes support from you feel even sweeter—you've carried us through the most difficult parts and given us the motivation to stay committed to this project even when we wanted to quit. Thank you.
We're moving forward with optimism, gratitude, and excitement, and we can't wait to share what we grow with you.
Thank you for your steadfast encouragement and support. Please continue to follow our journey @themushroomfactory.
Our love and gratitude,
Deana & Chris
photos
This is where photos will go once we build flickr integrationdonors
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Laurie and Bob
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Jeff B.
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Anonymous
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Anonymous
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Anonymous
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Keiren and Scott
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Anonymous
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Nancy Philippart
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Anonymous
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Anonymous
