What happens at MPCI?

Phase 1: Unloading straw bales

Phase 1: Unloading straw bales

Phase 1: Filling bunker

Phase 1: Filling bunker

Phase 1

Phase 1

Phase 1: Transfer from one bunker to another

Phase 1: Transfer from one bunker to another

Phase 1: Filling in tunnels

Phase 1: Filling in tunnels

Phase 2: Filling cassette

Phase 2: Filling cassette

Phase 2: Spawning

Phase 2: Spawning

Phase 2: Spawning

Phase 2: Spawning

Phase 3: Shipping

Phase 3: Shipping

Phase 3: Loading trailers with compost

Phase 3: Loading trailers with compost

Phase 1

  1. Trucks enter the property with loads of straw and are weighed.
  2. Straw bales are unloaded from the trucks and stored in piles.
  3. MPCI's 9 bunkers are equipped with concrete aerated floors that allow for better environmental controls/aerobic conditions.
  4. Front end loaders move the straw into the bunkers.
  5. Bales of straw are pre-wet using recycled water to soften the straw and make it more water absorbent. The bales remain in the bunkers for ±3 days.
  6. Front end loaders remove the wet bales from the bunkers and move them to a hopper/conveyor system where the bales are broken up and fed into the hopper for mixing.
  7. Front end loaders move poultry manure from storage bins to the hopper.
  8. Poultry manure is added to the hopper and mixed with the straw.
  9. Manure/straw mixture travels up the conveyor belt and across the bunkers, and is deposited into the bunkers where the mixture remains for ±1 day for fermentation.
  10. Front end loaders move the mixture from the bunkers back to the hopper where gypsum is mixed in with the substrate and then re-deposited into the bunkers via conveyor. Substrate remains in bunkers for ±5 days where the temperature of the substrate rises significantly to more than 80°C (±180°F).
  11. Next the mixture is moved (to new bunkers) for cooling purposes for ±1 day.
  12. The cooled Phase I substrate is moved via front end loader to conveyors leading into the main building.

Phase 2

  1. Once the nutrient rich mixture enters the building, the second phase begins.
  2. Phase 2 occurs within wholly enclosed, temperature controlled tunnels and continues the conversion of nutrients into a selective food supply for mushrooms.
  3. The tunnels are loaded with the Phase I substrate. Pasteurization occurs within the tunnels when steam is introduced to kill any insects or other pests that may be present in the compost. The mixture remains in the tunnels for ±5 days.
  4. Phase 2 composting is a controlled, temperature dependent, ecological process using air and steam to maintain the compost in a temperature range best suited for organisms to grow and reproduce.
  5. Next, the compost is removed from the tunnels and mushroom spores (mushroom equivalent of seeds) are added. The spawn enriched compost is then re-deposited into the tunnels where the spawn grows and incubates for ±15 days.
  6. Next, the compost is removed from the tunnels and mushroom spores (mushroom equivalent of seeds) are added. The spawn enriched compost is then re-deposited into the tunnels where the spawn grows and incubates for ±15 days.

Phase 3

  1. Final mushroom compost is removed from the tunnels via conveyors and deposited into enclosed shipping trailers.
  2. Shipping trailers leave to deliver compost to mushroom producing facilities in Ontario.