CANADA
with that kind of unforgiving weather. Making sure everything is frost-free consumes a lot of time and energy. OMF still operates outdoors using an aerated floor that blows steam through straw bales in winter months to prevent the dry stock of bales from freezing.
Capacity
A bit of snow has found its way inside.
OMF constructed more bunkers than necessary for the present use to secure the capacity for any future expansion projects on the farms. The closure of Continental Mushrooms opens up opportunities for expansion at various other mushroom farms in Ontario. Expanding features regularly on the agenda of the three owners of OMF, who all operate their farms along Dutch lines. They are currently busy adding a further eight tunnels to their tunnel company, expan- ding the total number from 16 to 24. The indoor facility supplies 1700 tons of fresh compost weekly to this site. When the new tunnels are completed, the OMF owners expect to start using the two bunkers that are still empty.
Phase I process indoors The new indoor facility features a special system that utilises heat produced by the bunkers to warm the floors in the huge buildings in order to minimise steam production from the warm compost during processing. Pipes through which warm water flows were installed in the flooring. This water is heated by the warmth of the compost in the bunkers. An immense air hand- ling system has also been installed to blow warm
air from the bunkers into the halls. At the same time, air is extracted to avoid releasing ammonia to the environment. The extracted air passes through scrubbers to remove the ammonia before being transferred to a biofilter installed adjacent to the building.
Another interesting detail is the insulated pipes of warm running water placed underneath the transport belts that convey fresh compost to the tunnels. These pipes carry hot water that is pumped from the heat recovery system on the Phase 2 tunnels over to the bunker building where it is used to heat the fresh air coming into the bunker building. The transport belts are covered, to prevent any ammonia odours escaping when compost is transported from the indoor facility to the tunnels.
At the indoor facility, air can be recirculated in the bunkers so that fresh outside air only needs to be introduced to supply oxygen. This functionality means that no more heat is lost than strictly necessary. An on/off ventilation system is still in use at the moment while experience is being gained in operating the new facility. The mixing line - also developed by GTL - has a straw hopper and a poultry manure hopper, but as the halls are separated by a wall, a compost hopper will soon be placed on the other side of the wall - close to the mixing drum - to speed up work if compost has to be taken to another bunker. An opening large enough for the loaders was left in the wall, but the light is not always good enough to permit work at speed. In this case, an extra hopper is not an unnecessary expense.
Transport belts that convey fresh compost to the tunnels. Pipes underneath carry hot water from the heat recovery system.
In the mixing/filling hall, a hopper is being loaded to fill the tunnels.
30 MUSHROOM BUSINESS
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