These visits will expose team members to a wide variety of ideas and facilities and help them to determine which methods might best meet Pennsylvania's needs and growing conditions. A key goal of the program is to increase the level of communication between growers and the public. Studies of both growers and their neighbors will be conducted to determine exactly what the complaints are, under what conditions they exist, and what factors contribute to them. Extension specialists will design educational programs to inform the public about how mushrooms are grown, why odors are associated with production, and what growers are doing to control the odors. Learn to better handle water runoff.
Water is an essential ingredient in the composting process, but excess ultimately runs off.
The Penn State Cooperative Extension office in Chester County, NRCS and Penn State faculty will provide educational meetings and materials to disseminate what is learned from the NRCS sites and from other agricultural enterprises that manage water runoff containing high levels of manure. Study the substrate. Researchers will evaluate different ingredients and management techniques that can reduce the odors released during the composting process. These studies will focus on how using different materials, additives, water amounts and turning schedules can alter these odors. Researchers also will evaluate new types of covers for mushroom compost piles to find those that effectively reduce odors.