How Are Mushrooms Grown With Generator Power?

Mushrooms are one of the most popular foods available today. They are technically not a fruit or a vegetable but considered a type of fungi.

A recent season study from the National Agricultural Statistics Service reported that 891 million pounds of common mushrooms were produced in a single season.

Mushrooms are grown from spores that do not require sunlight for photosynthesis. These spores are cultivated in buildings. 

The farms are complete production facilities. They range from manual farms to fully-automated operations. Each mushroom type can require a different growing medium.

White button mushrooms require a compost mixture, while shitake mushrooms grow on decaying logs.
The mushroom growth cycle is approximately 13 weeks. The growing steps for mushrooms that require a compost medium are:

The growing building contains horizontal tables that are stacked on top of one another. Each table is separated from the lower table. It takes about two weeks for the mushrooms to emerge out of the peat.
As the mushrooms grow, heat is produced.

The mushroom crop will die if heat exceeds the appropriate temperature anytime during the life cycle. Once the mushrooms reach harvest, they double in size every 24 hours. During the harvest, each table renders a crop every 2 to 5 days for the remaining three weeks. Harvest and storing for transportation are the final steps.
 
Automated Mushroom Farms

Large mushroom farms have installed automated equipment at their facility to increase production. Fully automated farms use cranes to place tables on the racks and conveyors to spread the medium.
Planting is often completed by hand. Some growers harvest mushrooms with an automatic cutting device that cuts all mushrooms on a growing tray in a single pass. Many feel that hand harvest and sorting preserves quality.

Generators provide stable power to farms

Farms that perform growing operations manually as well as automated farms require a dependable power supply. Manually operating farms require building climate control. When the climate control system fails because of a power outage, complete crops can be lost. In addition, any produce in refrigeration units begins to decompose.
 
Diesel powered generators are the answer for emergency power for mushroom farms on the utility grid. Generators are run for a continuous power supply for remotely located farms. We have many styles of generators.
 
Portable, sound attenuated enclosures, and skid are the basic designs. Generators on skids are for enclosed applications and have supporting systems. Sound attenuated enclosures have fuel tanks and do not need supporting systems. Portable generators can be easily transported from one area to another.
 
A 2000 kW Cummins generator is one example of a unit that was supplied to a mushroom farm to fulfill backup power requirements. Generator Source offers high quality, low-hour, pre-owned generators for cost savings. Click here to see our fully tested and certified used generator inventory. See new generators here. We offer immediate availability and can often ship within 24 hours. Contact us with any questions.

Story Summary

Why do mushroom farms need backup power?
Mushroom farms rely heavily on stable power to maintain precise environmental conditions for growing mushrooms. Without power, they risk losing entire crops due to temperature fluctuations or lack of climate control.

What equipment requires power on a mushroom farm?
Critical systems that need continuous power include:

What type of generators do mushroom farms typically use?
Most mushroom farms use diesel-powered generators for emergency backup power. Common options include:

How quickly do generators need to restore power?
Generators should be able to restore power within minutes of an outage to prevent crop damage. Many farms use automatic transfer switches for seamless power transition.

How much generator capacity is needed?
Generator sizing depends on the farm's size and power requirements. Large automated farms may need generators in the 1000-2000 kW range to power all systems.

What are the key stages of mushroom production?
The typical mushroom growth cycle takes about 13 weeks and includes:

How sensitive are mushrooms to environmental changes?
Mushrooms are extremely sensitive to temperature and humidity fluctuations. Even brief power outages can lead to crop losses if environmental controls fail.