By Prudence Minayo
Consolata Njeri is the owner of the Connie Farm Fresh N’ Organic mushrooms. The idea to grow mushrooms was conceived in 2017 when the entrepreneur faced heartbreaking challenges. Through the pain and sorrow, she was able to establish a thriving venture that has turned her fortunes around.
Her start-up capital was Ksh1,800 given to her by her mother.
Here is Consolata Njeri’s story as told by WoK.
Misfortune
In 2016, Njeri was forced to a have bed rest after facing a rupture while pregnant with her third child. To add to her pain, her husband abandoned her when she could have done with his support. Then, her house in Kakamega was also locked due to rent arrears. Luckily, a good samaritan helped her out.
Getting into the mushroom business
After visiting a farm in Kakamega, she was inspired to start growing mushrooms. The entrepreneur was given Ksh 1800 startup capital by her mother. Unfortunately, her first batch of 200 bags failed to yield profits due to a mould attack.
This is what prompted her to grow the oyster variety of mushroom when she went back to her home in Gatundu. She started small and grew the business. Today, she has two houses to nurture the crops. One is for incubation and the other is for fruition. The fruiting house is constructed with iron sheets.
The growth process
Explaining the process to Daily Nation in a recent interview, she said they use maize stalks and combs, dry banana fibers, sawdust, wheat and rice straws as growing media. After being cut into tiny pieces, they are soaked in water, lime and molasses drums. The excess water is drained by dry sawdust.
They are then placed in wheat bran or cotton seed cakes as supplements then thoroughly mixed to ensure uniform distribution. They are then compressed in small polythene bags to form mushroom gardens. They are steamed for two hours, sterilized and inoculated. After 28 days of incubation, they are transferred to the fruiting house.
The house needs to be free of oxygen and light, and the temperature between 22 to 25 degree celsius (room temperature). The farmer then monitors them, sprays the surface with an uncontaminated knapsack spray, and ensure humidity ranges from 85 to 95%.
Bodies called primordia develop due to the physical water shock. They form mushrooms within three days if the right fruition conditions are met. Once they unfold the caps, they are ready for harvest. This could take up to forty days.
Njeri works with about fifty farmers.
“For reproduction, we give farmers a budget. A two-kilo bag goes for ksh100, all costs included,” she told Nation.
Clients and marketing
She mainly sells to grocery stores and restaurants. A 250g pack goes for between Ksh130 to Ksh180.
Consolata markets the mushrooms through social media and the Mushrooms Growers Association of Kenya.
