SITUATION
Proposal Name: pilot-scale oyster mushrooms
Initiated By: Rory
Submission date: date
Background: Thanks to project 0009 - growing mushrooms we learned how to grow mushrooms from low-value organic materials. In this amendment, we would expand the project to container-scale.
Summary of proposed changes: what are you changing
How will this proposal advance the objectives of the Association? "creation and sharing of knowledge of how to produce nutrient-rich food sustainably and locally", as well as creating produce we can sell to finance our operations.
What direct or indirect conflicts of interest does the initiating member or any other member have in this proposal? None
Will or might this proposal lead to the Association trading while insolvent? This project will not require taking on any liabilities
What are the proposal's effects on other legal, reputational or financial risks? By selling mushrooms, the association takes on a large number of reputational and legal risks that must be managed. We must ensure full compliance with regulations, maximum financial transparency, and strict adherence to proper procedures regarding hygiene and testing.
TIMINGS
What date would the proposed project begin? date
What date would it be in useful operation? date
What date would it be retired? date
RESOURCES
What resources will it require? Money, materials, labour etc.
For each resource,
- Will it be donated? By the initiating member, or another person?
- if it will not be donated, can it be supplied from goods on hand?
- if not, can it be purchased with existing Association funds?
- if none of these, who will be called on to pay for it?
- Can the required labour be sourced internally via the TaskMarket ?
- if not, can the required labour be recruited as members?
- if not, how will they be paid?
Will the project require its own bank account?
If yes, who will be registered to authorise transactions?
What planned activities will the project require?
- Build and fitting out
- Lease / purchase of container(s)
- Cleaning and repair of container(s)
- Welding, caulking, removal of broken windows
- Installation of utilities - electricity, water, networking.
- Solar panels
- Charge controller and inverter (2000W)
- Batteries
- Cabling
- 4 x IBC, 12/24v pump, poly pipe plumbing
- Android phone with 365 day prepaid data plan.
- Lining of container
- Linoleum and builder's film
- Ventilate with 2 x whirlybird or 12/24v fan, with HEPA filters on the vents.
- Staff changing area
- Lockers
- Boots, gloves, coveralls, masks, hair-nets, salt, hypochlorite, mops, sponges
- Sink, tap, drain, soap
- Plastic chairs
- Coffee machine
- Wall-mounted LCD screen, keyboard and mouse
- Substrate processing area
- Bar fridge (for spawn)
- Bins, sacks, lime
- Tap, sink, drain
- Fruiting area
- Red LED strip-lighting
- White LED strip-lighting
- Racking to hold bags of fruiting substrate
- HEPA filters on all vents
- "Airlock" entrance
- Water-filled IBCs for thermal stability.
- Packing area
- Tables/benches - plastic, aluminium or resin-coated timber
- Copper knives
- Cutting boards
- Plastic packaging trays
- Plastic wrapping
- Large refrigerator / freezer combo for storing stock.
- hypochlorite, salt for cleaning
- Foam tubs
- Plastic bags to be filled with water, tied, and frozen for tubs
- Production activities
- Sourcing / purchase of wood chips, spent coffee grounds, coffee sacks and lime
- Hygiene and changing on entrance
- Cleaning and sterilizing of bins and surfaces in substrate processing area.
- Bagging of substrate
- Preparation of alkalizing solution
- Soaking and pasteurization of substrate
- Inoculation of substrate
- Cleaning and sterilizing fruiting area
- Transfer of inoculated bags to fruiting area
- Repair and maintenance of the substrate processing and fruiting areas.
- Monitoring and environmental control - lighting, humidity, temperature
- Dismantling and cook-out of fruiting area.
- Removal to disposal point of spent substrate.
- Administration and compliance activities connected to the above
- Distribution activities
- Contacting prospective customers
- Harvesting of mushrooms
- Hygiene and changing on entrance
- Cleaning and sterilizing foam tubs
- Filling and freezing ice bags
- Identifying and pulling off mushrooms
- Transfer to packing area
- Trimming and quality control
- Removal to disposal point of low-value organic wastes
- Routine testing for contamination
- Packaging for sale
- Transport to customer in foam tubs
- Cash management, invoices and receipts
- Repair, cleaning and maintenance of the packing and staff changing areas.
- Stock management and purchasing of boots, gloves, hair-nets, coveralls, masks, salt, hypochlorite, mops, sponges, foam boxes, plastic trays, plastic wrap.
- Administration and compliance activities connected to the above
What contingent activities will the project require?
- Members may purchase mushrooms for their own purposes, at 30% discount due to savings in distribution.
- Members may pay cash if for personal consumption, or otherwise may pay using the funds they are responsible for allocating to projects out of previous months' surpluses, and these funds are transferred back to project 0009 - growing mushrooms as revenue.
METHOD
Step by step plan, with contingencies, and operating instructions
OUTCOMES
What resources and knowledge will the project produce?
- Knowledge of how to turn low-value organic materials into edible mushrooms at scale
- Revenue from mushroom sales - after paying expenses, is expected to produce a surplus.
- Unless otherwise agreed, at the end of each month of operations any surplus is to be invested in other projects
- 40% to projects proportionate to the book value of that project's resources that were diverted to the build and fit-out of this project 0009 - growing mushrooms.
- 30% to projects as apportioned by those members who worked on production of mushrooms during the month. This 30% is to be divided by the total number of hours (via Task Market - worked and approved) and each such portion is to be allocated to a project by the member who worked that hour.
- 30% to projects as apportioned by those members who worked on sales and distribution of mushrooms during that month (allocated as for production, above).
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