Black Trumpet Farm Mushrooms Application

Application Date:

City: Leicester, North Carolina

Please briefly tell us why you are applying to be part of the Certified Naturally Grown (CNG) program:
We would love to signal to our customers that our mushrooms are grown with the utmost care and quality. We already grow without chemical inputs and using organic-certified materials but it would be nice to have third party verification so our customers can have that assurance. We also appreciate the work that CNG does in the farming community. We'd like to officially join the community and support its values.

Are you currently third-party-certified for your produce operation by any other organization (Organic, Biodynamic, etc.)?
No
If yes, please note which certification and agency:

Have you held any certification/s in the past that you don't currently hold?  No
Note which agencies and dates:

Have you ever been denied certification? No
If yes, please note which agencies, and reasons for denial:

How long have you been growing and selling your products?
We have been growing for 7 years and selling commercially for 5 years.
How did you learn to farm? What has prepared you to farm successfully according to CNG standards?
I took a mycology course as an undergraduate and later pursued a PhD in fungal ecology. After realizing that academia was not my path, I dropped out and decided to become closer to the land and farm full time. I worked on several organic vegetable and medicinal herb farms between 2007 and 2017. I was also a horticultural research assistant at North Carolina State University, where I am now completing my master's degree in Horticulture. At our farm, we spent two years building infrastructure and learning to grow mushrooms at scale. I also attended the Cornell University Mushroom Growing course and had several consultations with larger, established growers such as Maine Cap n Stem and Fox Farm & Forage. We have now been growing full time for five years. We grow 750 lbs weekly for three farmer's markets, 20+ restaurants, and several small wholesalers. The farm now supports the two owners and 4 employees.

Do you have additional physical locations for this farm? no_additional

Please briefly tell us why you are applying to be part of the Certified Naturally Grown (CNG) program: We would love to signal to our customers that our mushrooms are grown with the utmost care and quality. We already grow without chemical inputs and using organic-certified materials but it would be nice to have third party verification so our customers can have that assurance. We also appreciate the work that CNG does in the farming community. We'd like to officially join the community and support its values.

Are you currently third party certified for your mushrooms operation by any other organization (Organic, Biodynamic, etc.)? No

If yes, please note which certification and agency:

Have you held any certification/s in the past that you don't currently hold? No

Note which agencies and dates:

Have you ever been denied certification? No

If yes, please note which agencies, and reasons for denial:

How long have you been growing AND selling your mushrooms? We have been growing for 7 years and selling commercially for 5 years.

How did you learn to grow mushrooms? What has prepared you to grow successfully according to CNG standards? I took a mycology course as an undergraduate and later pursued a PhD in fungal ecology. After realizing that academia was not my path, I dropped out and decided to become closer to the land and farm full time. I worked on several organic vegetable and medicinal herb farms between 2007 and 2017. I was also a horticultural research assistant at North Carolina State University, where I am now completing my master's degree in Horticulture. At our farm, we spent two years building infrastructure and learning to grow mushrooms at scale. I also attended the Cornell University Mushroom Growing course and had several consultations with larger, established growers such as Maine Cap n Stem and Fox Farm & Forage. We have now been growing full time for five years. We grow 750 lbs weekly for three farmer's markets, 20+ restaurants, and several small wholesalers. The farm now supports the two owners and 4 employees.

Other types you'll be growing, not listed above: Agrocybe aegerita (pioppino), Pholiota adiposa (chestnut), and Hypsizygus tessellatus (beech)

Are there any mushroom types you grow or harvest for which you are NOT seeking certification? Please list all such types, and explain why you are not seeking to certify them. No

Please Specify Other Markets:

Shiitake (Lentinula) Certified organic 70% hardwood sawdust and 30% bran

Oyster (Pleurotus) Certified organic hardwood pellets (50% sawdust and 50% soy bean hull)

King stropharia, garden giant, wine cap (Stropharia)

Reishi (Ganoderma) Certified organic hardwood pellets (50% sawdust and 50% soy bean hull)

Enoki, velvet foot (Flammulina) Certified organic hardwood pellets (50% sawdust and 50% soy bean hull)

Maitake, hen of the woods (Grifola)

Butterscotch mushroom (Nameko)

Lion's mane, pom-poms (Hericium) Certified organic hardwood pellets (50% sawdust and 50% soy bean hull)

Chicken of the woods (Laetiporus)

White button, portabella (Agaricus)

Other (please specify)

Did you remember to indicate, for each of the substrates and supplements noted above, the sources of these materials? You may use this space to say anything else about the substrates you're using or may want to use in the future. All of our pelletized substrate comes from a large, organic certified distributor called Maine Cap N Stem (https://capnstem.com/). I can attach supporting documentation from this supplier.

Do your substrates include corn, soy, cotton seed hulls, or other byproducts of crops that are grown commercially in GMO form? No

How have you confirmed that these substrates are not byproducts of a GMO crop?

Do you use logs as a substrate? No

Do you adhere to all state or local quarantines for forest products that there may be in your region?

Please describe any steps you take to ensure that the logs you use are harvested according to a forest management plan that will maintain or help improve the overall health of the forest.

What do you use to seal logs after inoculation?

If you use wax, how do you confirm that it does not contain ethylene-propylene co-polymer, synthetic colors, or perfumes?

Do you use wood chips, sawdust, sawdust blocks, or wood pellets? Yes

Have you confirmed that these are not chemically treated, nor contain glue or other adhesives? Yes

Do you use any of the following items as substrate: cardboard, paper, clothing, municipal compost, wood from rare trees harvested for mushroom production? No

Do you use manure as a substrate in your mushroom operation? No

Have you confirmed that the manure is from animals that were not given GMO or other conventionally grown feed?

Has the manure been either (i) pasteurized, or (ii) composted through a process that established an initial C:N ratio of 25:1 to 40:1 and maintained at a temperature between 131-170F either for for 3 days using an in-vessel or static aerated pile system or for 15 days using a windrow composting system and turned 5 times? Please elaborate.

Please describe all sterilization or pasteurization procedures and materials you use. (If none, please put N/A) We steam sterilize all substrate in 130 gallon Bubba's Barrels (https://www.bubbasbarrels.com/ms/130-gallon-mushroom-substrate-steamer). In fall, we will be switching to a larger retrofitted shipping container and Sioux boiler for larger capacity steam sterilization (https://youtu.be/_G5FBdN2ayw)

How do you dispose of or re-purpose used substrate? Please indicate current practices as well as any plans you have for how the used substrate may be put to further productive use. We also have a mushroom compost operation. All used substrate is turned into compost and used on our farm. Next year, we will begin testing it and selling it commercially.

How do you ensure that nutrients from used substrate do not leach into waterways? We currently use low nitrogen substrate and the substrate decomposes slowly in raised beds with terraced borders. When we begin commercial compost sales, our operation will turn the used substrate in 50 foot windrow by tractor. It will be a long and slow decomposition process (6-12 months) and the composting area is more than 500 ft from any waterways.

Please describe the racks and beds used in production (if any). What are they made of? The racks are HDX racks composed of steel wire.

Please describe any containers used for sterilization, and/or pasteurization. What are they made of? The Bubba's Barrels are made from stainless steel (https://www.bubbasbarrels.com/ms/130-gallon-mushroom-substrate-steamer). The shipping container will be retrofitted with steel panels on the walls, ceiling, and floor.

Please describe any containers used for production. What are they made of? If you don't use containers for production (as for log-based production) you may answer "n/a". We grow mushrooms indoors in a plastic bag system. The filter patch bags are Unicorn Bags purchased from Myer's Mushrooms (https://myersmushrooms.com/product/xls-a-filter-patch-bags-5-micron-10-15-lb-sawdust-bulk-substrate/). They are specialized plastic made to withstand high heat sterilization.

Were the containers purchased new or repurposed? If re-purposed, please describe how the containers had been used previously, and how you confirmed this with the supplier(s). Containers are purchased new.

In your operation, do any of the following materials come into direct contact with any substrate or fruiting bodies?Plastics that contain BPA, polystyrene, treated wood, railroad ties, containers that previously held toxic materials, re-purposed containers that had an unknown prior use. No

Are any of the mushrooms you sell wild harvested (or "wildcrafted")? No

What types of wild mushrooms do you harvest and sell?

Please describe what measures you take to ensure that you do not over harvest these mushrooms, and that there will continue to be wild mushrooms of that variety in the locations where you found them.

Since CNG doesn't offer certification for wildcrafted mushrooms, you must agree not to market any wildcrafted mushrooms (or products made from them) as Certified Naturally Grown. Please indicate you agree to this requirement by typing your initials here.

What water contamination experts have you consulted to identify which contaminants are typically found in area water, and determine the tests that should be conducted? We use well water exclusively and it is tested yearly by the NC Department of Health and Human Services.

Do you use well water to mist or irrigate fruiting bodies? Yes

Please note CNG mushroom standards require you test well water used to mist or irrigate fruiting bodies at least once per year for E. coli, and the results must be negative with no E. coli detected. Have you tested your well water for E. coli within the past year? What was the date of the most recent test? What were the results? Yes, negative for E. coli.

Do you use surface water to soak logs or to irrigate non-fruiting substrate? No

CNG mushroom standards require you to test surface water used to soak logs or irrigate non-fruiting substrate at least twice per year for E. coli, including at the beginning of the season and in the middle of the season, and E. coli levels must fall below 235 cfu/100ml. How often do you test for E. coli? What was the date of the most recent test? What were the results? If you haven't tested recently, by when can you have your surface water tested?

Will you agree to test according to the required schedule if you are a part of CNG?

Do you ever use surface water to mist or irrigate fruiting bodies? No

Do you purchase spawn or produce your own or some of each? (If purchased, please list the supplier). We purchase all spawn from Maine Cap N Stem (https://capnstem.com/).

CNG mushroom standards prohibit for spawn production the use of adhesives, byproducts of GMO crops, or other materials prohibited for use as substrate. Are you confident none of these materials were used as a growing media for the spawn? Yes

Describe your primary insect challenges AND methods of control. Do not answer "none". You MUST indicate either actual pest challenges and/or LIKELY challenges, and you must ALSO indicate how you manage (or would manage) them. If you indicate a product, also specify how often it's used. Our primary insect challenges are fungus gnats and rove beetles. We grow indoors in a contained environment that excludes pests physically. We also control them by regularly cleaning our fruiting rooms daily (and weekly deep cleans) and limiting second flushes to healthy blocks. We regularly clean all surfaces with organic biodegradable soap followed by 10% bleach spray. We harvest daily to ensure that all mushrooms are picked at the optimal stage and do not attract pests. Finally we use sticky traps to scout for pests before populations become problematic.

Describe your primary disease challenges AND methods of control. Do not answer "none". You MUST indicate either actual disease challenges and/or LIKELY challenges, and you must ALSO indicate how you manage (or would manage) them. If you indicate a product, also specify how often it's used. Trichoderma and bacterial blotch are our primary disease challenge and this is managed in a fashion similar to pest control. We rotate stock regularly. We also scout daily for diseased blocks and remove and compost them immediately. Also once a fruiting room in completely emptied, we fog with an oxine solution. Finally, we use diluted bleach when cleaning our misting system components (when not in use).

Is your operation either partially or entirely INdoors? Yes

Please describe neighboring land uses to the north, south, east and west of your INdoor operation. Include buffer widths. We operate in an increasingly suburban environment but there is a 50 ft buffer and hedgerow between our growing operation and a neighbor's house to the south. Our home and flower farm are on the south and east sides. There is another 100 ft buffer between our facility and the county road to the west.

Do these adjacent land uses pose a risk of drift or contamination? If so, please describe. No. It is open use zoning and neighbors are non-commercial households.

How does your ventilation and air filtration system prevent possible contamination? We have circulation and exhaust fans in our incubation and fruiting rooms to decrease carbon dioxide and improve fresh air circulation around the fruiting blocks. We keep temperatures below 65 degrees to reduce contamination from fungal and bacterial competitors. Additionally we keep the building sealed and use screens on our exhaust vents.

If you share space with other producers, please indicate whether they use synthetic chemicals, and if so, how do you protect your production area from potential contamination? We do not share space with other producers.

Is your operation either partially or entirely OUTdoors? No

Please describe neighboring land uses to the north, south, east and west of your OUTdoor operation.

Do these uses pose a risk of drift or contamination?

What is the distance between your outdoor production area and the nearest sources of possible contamination?

What other factors mediate the risk of contamination? (Prevailing wind patterns, windbreaks, method of spray, etc.)

Has your outdoor production area been treated with prohibited substances within the past 36 months? If so, by what was it treated, and when?

What measures have you taken to conserve energy, improve energy efficiency, and/or use energy from renewable sources? (This could include system design, siting, insulation, lighting choices, and more). We received grants to install solar panels on the roof of our facility which helps offset 1/3 of our electricity costs. We also invested in LED lighting throughout the building and high R-value insulation to mitigate energy losses from heating and cooling. We are also installing an ERV (energy recovery ventilator) in our incubation space to reduce energy losses due to air re-circulation. Additionally, air from the building plenum is per-conditioned before it's sent to our cooler temperature fruiting rooms.

Please use this space to highlight any other measures you take to reduce the environmental impact of your operation or to make it more sustainable in other ways. All of our substrate is sourced from Maine, which is the closest certified organic supplier. In the future, we have a transition plan to incorporate substrate from mills in the southeast. We will be working with our organic certifier next year to ensure these materials can be certified organic. We also compost all of our spent blocks for building soil on the farm. We pay a living wage, which makes our operation more sustainable from a human perspective.

Are you a part of a network (informal or formal) of mushroom producers in your geographic area? Yes

Please tell us about your network. Does it have a name? Roughly how many members, and what geographic area does it cover? We are members of the Asheville Mushroom Club which has several commercial cultivators. We also belong to the Commercial Mushroom Grower's Network that has members nationwide.

Can you name one or two potential inspectors who you could ask to conduct your inspection? Liz and Tom Elmore of Thatchmore Farm in Leicester, NC Rodney Webb of Appalachian Fugorum Krista and Stephen of New Roots Market Garden Avery Hughes of High Country Fungi

What qualifications do they have to conduct an inspection of a mushroom operation? Avery grows indoors in a similar manner to us. Rodney is an outdoor grower but has 30+ years of experience. The Elmores and New Roots grow shiitakes outdoors as part of their vegetable operation and are located nearby.

I will not label, or in any way lead consumers to believe, that a farm product not raised in accord with CNG standards is Certified Naturally Grown. GAE

I understand that I have to complete at least one (and hopefully more) Certification Inspection(s) of another farm in my area each year and will abide by the trading and repeat rules within the CNG Inspection Guidelines. GAE

I have reviewed the Certified Naturally Grown Mushroom Standards. I understand them and I will abide by them. I understand that if I have any questions I may contact CNG for clarification. GAE

You may use this space to tell us anything else you think we should know about your operation: I have the organic certification documentation from our supplier, Maine Cap N Stem, for our substrate and spawn. I didn't see a place to attach those documents but I can email them separately if needed? Thanks!