Week 3 - Mushroom Farm visit to Kin Yan Agrotech
Although we had a Q&A session with Mr Azhar, we wanted to find out more about mushroom farms.
As such, we decided to visit a local farm, Kin Yan Agrotech, to have a feel of the environment as well as learn more about how they operate and grow their mushrooms.
We went to Kin Yan Agrotech on the 6 November 2016 as a team at 1:30pm.
Kin Yan Agrotech
Kin Yan Agrotech Pte Ltd is situated in Lim Chu Kang Agrotechnology Park, near Sungei Buloh Wetlands Reserve.
They are Singapore's largest commercial organic wheatgrass farm that produces and supplies such crops.
Also found within the farm are fresh edible cactuses, aloe vera, mushrooms as well as roselle fruits.
Address: 220 Neo Tiew Crescent Singapore 718830.
Tel: 67948368
Fax: 67948372
Business hours: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Admission: Free Directions: From Kranji MRT, take Kranji Express or SMRT Bus 925 (Sun and PH only)
Email: kinyan@singnet.com.sg
We contacted the farm in advance and had the privilege of Mr Woon Chang Chyang, the managing director, to bring us around.
Background about Kin Yan and mushrooms
Before visiting the area where the mushrooms were grown, Mr Woon shared with us a little background knowledge about mushrooms.
Kin Yan grows and sell oyster mushrooms, black fungus abalone mushrooms, spring mushrooms and pink mushrooms.
How do these mushrooms grow?
Well, they are cultivated in spawn bags.
These bags contain the necessary minerals, nutrients and spores for the mushrooms to grow. However, Singapore does not have the available resources.
As such, they have to seek the spawn bag from other countries, like China. The spawn bag has to go through the process of killing germs and viruses under steam of 150 degrees celsius.
The bag is then left to cool to room temperature for a week before injecting the specific type of spore that the farm wants to culture. They then throw bread crumbs into the bag for it to decompose and moss to grow. This will then cause the fungi to grow.
Initially, the spawn bag is brown in color.
However, when the nestling starts to grow, the bag starts to become white.
When the bag is 90% white, they will request the bag to be shipped to Singapore.
Kin Yan then lets the mushroom adjust to the new surroundings for a weeks by opening the cap and letting it come into contact with the air.
One spawn bag can only grow one type of mushroom.
Kin Yan Agrotech goes through a special selection and grow mushrooms that can grow well in our weather whereby temperatures range from about 27-32 degrees celsius and a humidity of 85-95%. They do not change the environment or have special machines to alter the temperature to grow different species as it would incur additional costs for them.
Humidity & Temperature
Kin Yan uses infrared sensors to measure the temperate in the farm.
They also make use of a machine to ensure the humidity is within the 85-95% range.
The machine sprays mist whereby Mr Woon describes it to be something like "Cameron highlands" whereby the mist is so strong that we will not be able to see each other.
They spray it quite often in the afternoon whereby the weather gets warmer and less often during the evening whereby temperatures are cooler.
As the type of mushrooms they grow are suited for our weather/climate, they do not need to spray too much or often.
Kin Yan Mushroom Farm Environment
The picture above is where they mass produce their mushrooms.
General public is not allowed in here.
This is because we carry bacteria and diseases which may be transferred to the mushrooms, acting their production rate.
However, Mr Woon was nice and allowed us to enter and have a look at their production area! thanks! ^^
Golden/Yellow oyster mushrooms!
How healthy and big their mushrooms can grow up to!
Conclusion - Reflection
Although the trip's main purpose was to learn more about mushroom, we had fun together and bonded with each other.
As such, it was an educational as well as interesting trip for all of us!
Thanks
Lastly, we would like to thank Mr Woon for bringing us around!
and to you who have read the post!
See you soon!
Written By : Fang Yi
