Could Your Farm Use an Extra 8 Thousand Dollars?

Who couldn't use 8 grand? That's the potential profit Cornell's Small Farms Program says you could make with log-grown shiitake mushrooms.  That's right, profit.

Research done by Cornell shows that operating 1,000 logs would make a yearly profit of about 8 thousand dollars in 3 years.

 would cost $4,740 to establish and would yield 1,040 pounds of mushrooms annually and could generate $12,480 of income for the farmer each year. This rate can be perpetually sustained from year four onward and would qualify a producer for agricultural exemption in New York.

Now that mushrooms are an official crop in New York, that means funding is available through the USDA to start and sustain an operation.  Here's more on cultivating log grown mushrooms.  Cornell will be offering workshops in the new year at several locations.  Attending them will make available one on one consultations the next day.  You can register online.

Sunday, January 29 - Franklin County CCE (Consultations on Jan 30)
Sunday, February 5 - Wyoming County CCE (Consultations on Feb 6)
Sunday, February 26 - Schuyler County CCE (Consultations on Feb 27)
Friday, March 3 - Greene County CCE (Consultations on March 4)
Friday, March 10 - Putnam County CCE (Consultations on March 11)

SOURCE: Cornell's Small Farms Program