Dennis Macharia is a farmer from Matuguta Githunguri, Kiambu County.
He embarked on his agricultural journey over five years ago; however, despite his diligent efforts, his farming enterprises were proving to be more burdensome than beneficial.
This was particularly evident in his coriander and cabbage cultivation, where he felt trapped by middlemen following each successful harvest.
Subsequently, he transitioned to poultry farming, only to confront a harsh reality that often crushes the aspirations of many farmers—the exorbitant cost of feed.
The Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated this issue, causing the prices of raw materials for chicken feed to soar, which ultimately became the tipping point for him.
He then turned to mushroom cultivation, drawing inspiration from Paul Stamets, a fungi grower based in the United States.
“Paul Stamets, through one of his e-books on mushroom farming, triggered my desire to venture into mushrooms,” he said.
Stamets, a prominent American mycologist and entrepreneur, is recognized for his profound expertise in the cultivation of fungi and has written numerous books on the subject.
With an initial investment of Ksh 20,000, Macharia, who is also employed at a pharmaceutical firm, established Garden Mushrooms in partnership with his wife.
He converted an old chicken coop into a facility for mushroom cultivation and currently operates three state-of-the-art growing houses.
These structures are fully automated, insulated, and constructed from gypsum, equipped with fans to control temperature and humidity levels.
Gypsum, a powder utilized to modify the pH of mushroom growing substrates, improves yields by providing vital minerals and trace elements.
Substrates serve as the growing medium for mushrooms.
“Each house has a humidifier since mushrooms thrive in a controlled environment,” he added.
He has progressively expanded his business, increasing the workforce from four employees to 25.
Among these, ten are permanent staff members, while the rest are engaged as casual workers.
The initial challenge he faced was gaining a comprehensive understanding of the market landscape.
“When we started, mushrooms were expensive and were largely sold in upscale markets like Westlands in Nairobi,” he said.
Macharia attributes the growth of his business to a strategic reinvestment approach, utilizing the profits generated to support further expansion.
He has established cold room chain systems to ensure the preservation of harvests, particularly when targeting competitive markets.
His primary clientele includes upscale hotels, restaurants, and supermarkets, with several buyers situated at City Park in Nairobi.
Macharia estimates that each growing house yields approximately 4,500 pun nets, with each net weighing 250 grams.
The price of mushrooms at hotels ranges from Ksh 180 to Ksh 200, while supermarkets acquire them for Ksh 200 for resale purposes.
The complete mushroom production cycle spans around 42 days, commencing with the preparation of substrates and the planting of seeds known as spawns.
“We have adopted a synthetic system of composting the substrates, which allows us to produce mushrooms year-round,” he said.
Macharia has designated two rooms for substrates composting which involves mixing crushed wheat straw, which is soaked and supplemented with chicken manure, cotton seed, and gypsum.