Green Box Mushrooms is expanding its production capacity to deliver locally fresh mushrooms by converting a shipping container into a turn-key growing space.
Funded on 05/05/2021
Founded in 2017, Green Box Mushrooms is a sustainably run indoor mushroom farm, growing all-natural oyster mushrooms year-round with other varieties on the horizon.
Owners John & Elizabeth Moon are on a mission to decentralize existing U.S. mushroom production and increase domestic sourcing, as currently ~70% of mushrooms found in the grocery stores are still imported from overseas. As demand for local mushrooms grows throughout the region, their plan is to develop a shipping container into a turn-key micro-farm for producing large amounts of mushrooms closer to the markets they serve.
Many of Green Box Mushroom’s current customers are interested in growing their own mushrooms but don’t know how to get started. Additionally, delivering fresh mushrooms to markets hours away, every day goes against the sustainable and automated system that Green Box Mushrooms has built out. This is where their idea for new turn-key units comes in, utilizing low-cost shipping containers equipped with their bottle cultivation processes and technology. These micro-growing facilities will allow local communities to purchase fresh and local mushrooms year-round.
Their loan from Steward will fund the conversion of a used shipping container into a demo growing room, complete with the necessary components of Green Box Mushroom’s technology (e.g., HVAC system, humidifier, racks, and electrical wires). Other than setting up the shipping container, access to electricity and labor to pick the mushrooms are the only additional items needed to produce about 700 lbs of fresh, sustainable mushrooms per week!
Photo: by Nick Bowman
Thank you to all of our participating lenders, who believe in us to share in the dream of helping others through a different kind of farming. With your support, we are able to supply sustainable, U.S.-grown, and harvested fresh oyster mushrooms to the southeastern part of the country year-round. Thank you for your support.
This loan will be made to Green Box Mushrooms, Inc., a Georgia Domestic Profit Corporation.
Funds will be used to develop a small-scale indoor mushroom growing facility out of a shipping container.
The total loan amount is $25,000 which will assist Green Box Mushrooms in growing and expanding their business.
This loan is set at an 8% interest rate, with a 60-month term, and fully amortized monthly payments beginning in 3 months after funds are disbursed.
Shipping Container - $7,000: Used 40’ high cube reefer container
Infrastructure - $5,400: Shelving and internal small containers
Temperature Regulation - $7,900: HVAC system, humidifiers, small fans, and one large blower fan
LED Light - $500: Container light
Electrical Wire & Installation - $4,200: Electrical wires and subpanel installation
Total Budget - $25,000
See documents tab for images of growing room proto-types.
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