Loomio
Tue 3 Sep 2019 6:47PM

Mushroom Chamber Site Location - Seeds to Soil/Just Food/Cornell Cooperative Extension

MJ michelle j. Public Seen by 11

Mini Chamber for Mushroom Production

Seeds to Soil would like to host a mushroom chamber on the 2nd floor hallway (same location as the seedling station from earlier this year). The chamber is 2'x4'x6' which is similar in scale to the seedling station. Please see attached pdf for a picture and more complete description.

The mushroom chamber project is a joint initiative between Just Food (PP resident, Qiana Mickie), Cornell Cooperative Extension (Seeds to Soil collaborator) and a few other partners. Cornell reached out to me today and proposed an install date of September 17/18 during the day which would involve a brief training for anyone interested in helping with the testing. If Seeds to Soil is able to host the mushroom chamber at Prime Produce, we will be one of two sites in NYC. We'd love to be a part of this project and hope that you would like to be a part of it too!

Just Food (PP Resident/S2S Collaborator, Qiana Mickie) and Cornell Cooperative Extension (S2S collaborator) along with a few other partners are working on a mushroom grant. Part of the grant was to create a prototype for an open source mushroom chamber (Please see attached pdf). Qiana reached out to me to let me know that she proposed that Seeds to Soil host a mushroom chamber at Prime Produce as one of two test sites in NYC with a goal to create a system that is viable for communities to turn into enterprises. Seeds to Soil would love to support their efforts.

Links to organizations below:
Just Food
https://www.justfood.org

Cornell Cooperative Extension
http://cce.cornell.edu

*September 11 - the milk crates on the 2nd floor hallway, will be moving up to the roof.

MJ

Poll Created Tue 3 Sep 2019 6:51PM

Mushroom Chamber Site Location- Seeds to Soil/Just Food/Cornell Cooperative Extension Closed Tue 10 Sep 2019 6:02PM

Outcome
by michelle jackson Thu 12 Sep 2019 7:34PM

Thank you everyone for all of your support, input and engagement with this Loomio. The Mushroom Chamber will be installed in the 2nd floor hallway on September 18th sometime between 11-2pm. There is a 10 week trial and then the possibility of extension. Ultimately, CES would love for us to host the chamber again after the 10 weeks.

Mini Chamber for Mushroom Production

Seeds to Soil would like to host a mushroom chamber on the 2nd floor hallway (same location as the seedling station from earlier this year). The chamber is 2'x4'x6' which is similar in scale to the seedling station. Please see attached pdf for a picture and more complete description.

The mushroom chamber project is a joint initiative between Just Food (PP resident, Qiana Mickie), Cornell Cooperative Extension (Seeds to Soil collaborator) and a few other partners. Cornell reached out to me today and proposed an install date of September 17/18 during the day which would involve a brief training for anyone interested in helping with the testing. If Seeds to Soil is able to host the mushroom chamber at Prime Produce, we will be one of two sites in NYC. We'd love to be a part of this project and hope that you would like to be a part of it too!

Just Food (PP Resident/S2S Collaborator, Qiana Mickie) and Cornell Cooperative Extension (S2S collaborator) along with a few other partners are working on a mushroom grant. Part of the grant was to create a prototype for an open source mushroom chamber (Please see attached pdf). Qiana reached out to me to let me know that she proposed that Seeds to Soil host a mushroom chamber at Prime Produce as one of two test sites in NYC with a goal to create a system that is viable for communities to turn into enterprises. Seeds to Soil would love to support their efforts.

Links to organizations below:
Just Food
https://www.justfood.org

Cornell Cooperative Extension
http://cce.cornell.edu

*September 11 - the milk crates on the 2nd floor hallway, will be moving up to the roof.

Results

Results Option % of points Voters
Agree 100.0% 8 D J MJ MS AG SA PPG A
Abstain 0.0% 0  
Disagree 0.0% 0  
Block 0.0% 0  
Undecided 0% 6 D C RZ DH Q Y

8 of 14 people have participated (57%)

D

David
Agree
Wed 4 Sep 2019 1:27PM

Super love this proposal and the innovative urban ag work it will encourage. I think it can also promote the development of some exciting partnerships and efforts like it. One thought is, we'd have to carefully think how the 2nd floor hallway is arranged, especially if we bring the couch up.

SA

Saks Afridi
Agree
Wed 4 Sep 2019 7:53PM

I don’t mind the plants being in the hallway, provided it is neatly and aesthetically done.

I have other concerns with the 2nd floor such as Lighting in the hallway (the floor lamps ain’t cutting it) and the collaboratory feels messy. But these are issues for another loomio.

AG

Anurag Gupta
Agree
Mon 9 Sep 2019 5:27PM

Some of my concerns have been answered. I would only request that 1. there be a specific time frame for the use of this space, and 2. a strategy to address any fruitflies and other insects that this initiative may attract. Otherwise, I am excited to be lifted by the plant life in our space :)

MJ

michelle jackson
Agree
Mon 9 Sep 2019 10:07PM

@anuraggupta The initial time frame is 10 weeks with an option to renew. I’ll be in close
Contact with the partners to address anything that pops up such as fruit flies. We are beta testing this open source design, so feedback is welcome. Please feel free to share it with me. Thanks so much for all of the support!

PPG

Patrick Paul Garlinger Wed 4 Sep 2019 1:31PM

I gave a heads up to Michelle that I was going to block this proposal in order to promote discussion among members about using the 2nd floor hallway for projects. My concern is that it's a high-traffic area, and it's already very cluttered -- something that we're generally dealing with at the guild. Could this go instead on the 3rd floor? I don't know the status of the Cybernetics Library but the 6-month term has long since passed and another proposal should be forthcoming (hint, hint, David) for it to remain in that space; even if the library were to remain, I think there would be enough space there for both. If the members as a whole have no objection to the 2nd floor hallway being used for projects of this sort, I won't continue to block.

Additional questions include how long the mushroom chamber will be there -- the pdf suggests 10 weeks, but wasn't clearly stated in the proposal. Will a separate refrigerator be used or is the one from the pantry going to be occupied with spawn? Can the hallway be set for 65-75 degrees? It's not clear to me how the 2nd floor hallway accommodates that requirement.

I totally want to see this project happen, but I think the proposal needs to provide some additional clarification, and I very much want an open conversation about the impact on the 2nd floor hallway. Thanks.

MJ

michelle jackson Wed 4 Sep 2019 8:27PM

Thanks for the support in hosting the mushroom chamber. I spoke with Patrick and he explained to me that he is using the Block to spark more discussion around the 2nd floor and to also request additional clarification.

I have reached out to Cornell for additional clarification about the need for temperature regulation. I was thinking that would be regulated by the chamber not the space, but clarifying. I'm also clarifying the time period to host.

In terms of its proposed location in the 2nd floor hallway, I personally feel that the collaboratory can be re-configured to include both the standing desk and the sofa that is currently in the cafe space. This most likely would require some reorganization that may require removing some items in the space.
For example removing some milkcrate tables and adding some vertical storage spaces.

I'm wondering how other members see the hallway space

I love the second floor hallway as a project space. I've found the 2nd floor space to be a really interesting space to engage visitors and neighbors with projects that we are working on. It sparks conversation and interest. I loved having the seed station in that space and received positive feedback on its placement which is why I suggested the space for the mushroom chamber.

How do people feel about designated the hallway as a project space? It's pretty interesting in that it is a members area but still receives visitor foot traffic due to the conference rooms and meditation workshop space.

PPG

Patrick Paul Garlinger Thu 5 Sep 2019 1:06PM

Thanks, Michelle, for reaching out for clarification on those points, and for your perspective on using the hallways as a project space. I look forward to hearing about the temperature issue, since I read the pdf to suggest that the hallway itself would need to be kept at 65-75.

I don't have an absolute objection to the 2nd floor hallway as a designated project space, and agree with you that it can be an interesting point of intersection between visitors and members. But right now it is quite cluttered with pillows, meditation cushions, shoe racks, massage tables, and other items. In addition, both Anu and David have advanced the idea of the 2-seater being placed there, and I don't see how the hallway can accommodate both that item and the mushroom chamber. I am also leery of the standing desk and the two-seater both going into the collaboratory, which already has a lot of furniture, including that enormous sofa. This is one of the reasons I'm pushing for conversation here in Loomio. As a matter of process, it's important for people to be transparent about their opinions -- after all, it is one of the stated goals of the guild -- and for us to consider openly how one proposal affects other spaces. Thus far, other than Saks, no one else has commented on the use of the 2nd floor hallway, generally or with reference to the two-seater. Hopefully others will begin to weigh in.

MJ

michelle j. Thu 5 Sep 2019 9:33PM

I have been exchanging emails with Cornell. As long as there are not huge fluctuations in temperatures, the mushrooms should be fine. According to the clarification that I'm receiving, the 2nd floor hallway shouldn't be a problem. The duration of time for us to host the chamber is initially for 8-10 weeks with the option to keep it for longer. In terms of fridge, I'm seeing if we can use the smaller fridge that is in the small conference room.

Re: Hallway I propose that we put the mushroom chamber in the hallway by itself or with the sofa. I'd prefer to try sofa in collaboratory, but we could start with it in the hallway- see how it goes after 8-10 weeks. We move the cushions 2/3 which are on wheels right now into the meditation room. Move the chairs to the first floor event space or find storage for them on the 2nd floor. milk crates are moving to the roof and becoming part of the labyrinth on September 11.

Re: Collaboratory (moving sofa/standing desk 2nd floor thread) all the furniture can be moved around and the large sofa can be taken a part. I believe that it has three pieces. In general, the large sofa gets a lot of daily use as meeting space. People like to sit there to talk about projects and catch up @saksafridi was there a particular reason that you were feeling a need for it to be moved/taken apart?

SA

Saks Afridi Thu 5 Sep 2019 9:41PM

just that it’s kinda huge. I was thinking if we put the smaller couch in the collaboratory with a couple of chairs, that still gives peoples a space to have meetings and chill, while getting more space. I feel the hallway of the 2nd floor might get crowded. It’s also not the most desirable place in the guild to chill in the beautiful two seater. Even when the light situation in the 2nd floor hallway make the space brighter, I feel that the hallway will get crowded. If everyone wants the bulky soda AND the two seater in the collaboratory, let’s try and figure out an aesthetically pleasing way of doing it. Otherwise it’ll look like a disorganized space. That was my thinking @michellej

Load More