Second Day of Construction

MPS structure at the end of day two.

We arrived at the site bright and early around 7:45 am to start the second day of constructing our MPS. Once our whole crew arrived, we decided to split up so that we could be as efficient as possible. Rachel stayed at the site and oversaw the erecting of the last four inside posts and the beams for the roof. Marc and Isabel went with Jawara to the market to find materials for grain spawn.

Finding sorghum grain was an easy task but finding glass jars that would be suitable for using in the pressure cooker was very difficult. There are plenty of plastic goods around the market place, but not much glass. We considered trying to use empty beer bottles for spawn because they are cheap glass that would likely fit into our small cooker, but kept that as a back up option as they don't have lids for easy cleaning and reuse. The three were walking back after scouring the crowded market with no success when Jawara suddenly ran into a friend of his sitting on a motorbike. After a brief conversation of catching up with each other, Jawara mentioned what we were on the hunt for and his friend suggested a shop a few streets away. We followed this last lead and finally found lidded glass jars! They need to be cleaned, but otherwise are exactly right to fit in our pressure cooker and hold spawn; we felt very fortunate for this small miracle. After this success, we reconvened as a team and decided it was time to go gather our materials for the substrate.

Sorghum grain and jars for spawning.

We all piled into a truck and drove to a chicken farm a few kilometers away to get chicken manure. This was our first time leaving Makeni and visiting a more rural location, which was very scenic. Our colleague Musa pointed out different types of trees on the way, such as mango, banana, and more. Once we got to the farm, we took a few minutes to tour the chicken and pig enclosures, which was a rewarding break from all the hard work we've been doing. After purchasing the manure, we then drove to another rural farm for the rice straw. This farm was very expansive and produces both rice and peanuts. The farmer proudly talked to us about how he started the farm only two years ago and has been working hard on it ever since. It was very impressive to hear about and reminded us about our criterion for selecting champion mushroom farmers.

On the way back from second farm, we also picked up 8 bags of cement so that we can pour the concrete floor tomorrow. We returned to the construction site to dig the trenches and lay beams for the cement. Finally, we mixed together our substrate materials so that it can begin to compost.

Picking up rice straw husk at farm.

A challenge now we have to face is figuring out what to use as a permanent heat source for boiling and pressure cooking. We have decided not to construct the second MPS during this trip so that we have the bandwidth to handle challenges such as these. Constructing a building is very different from preparing a farmer to successfully grow a crop he has never cultivated before. By focusing on just this one MPS, we can devote all of our attention to the little details, both structural and agricultural, to ensure the pilot farm's success.