Batch template
An editable copy of the CSV with clear units and one stable ID per production batch.
In this guide
Take these to the farm
Batch margin calculator
Common questions
Equipment & preparation
Operating checks to record
Use records through a complete batch
Adapt the routine to your site
Useful calculations and the units behind them
Troubleshooting quick reference
Quality-control checklist
The workflow at a glance
Sources & field notes
Take these to the farm
Batch margin calculator
Enter your batch figures in Tanzanian shillings. The calculator shows revenue, contribution after entered costs and break-even price. Include tax, finance and depreciation in your costs where applicable.
Common questions
How long until the first harvest?
Strain, substrate and conditions affect timing. Track each batch; crop readiness is more useful than a promised date.
Can I use any agricultural waste?
No. Use clean, suitable material with a known source. Each recipe needs treatment validation and a small trial.
Does white growth prove a bag is safe?
No. Appearance cannot establish safety or culture identity. Use reliable spawn, documented hygiene and a response procedure.
Can I buy mushrooms or book training?
Contact ICL to confirm current availability, delivery area and training options. Supply and bookings need separate confirmation.
Are these measured ICL results?
ICL Learn brings together practical cultivation workflows, operating checklists and technical references. Use batch records to track how your strain, materials and growing conditions affect results.
Equipment & preparation
Daily checklist
A printed or offline-accessible routine for climate, hygiene, harvest and equipment checks.
Measuring tools
Suitable scales, room sensors and a probe thermometer with identified positions or uses.
Event notes
A way to record outages, process deviations and changes at the time they occur.
Receipts and orders
Purchase, delivery, invoice and payment records linked to the correct batch or customer.
Backup
A retained master and a dated backup so a corrupted or overwritten file does not erase the history.
Operating checks to record
| Control | Record | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | Batch, recipe version, spawn lot and operator. | Use the same identifiers in the bag label, room map and harvest entry. |
| Units | Mass, time, temperature and money with clear headings. | Separate grams from kilograms and wet mass from dry mass. |
| Completeness | Bags started, rejects, harvests, sales and costs. | Leave a visible missing value rather than silently treating it as zero. |
| Corrections | Original value, revised value and reason. | Keep a note when a measurement or assumption changes. |
| Decisions | Evidence, next action and the comparison planned. | A useful record ends with a specific repeat, change or hold decision. |
Use records through a complete batch
1
Assign a stable batch ID
Use the same ID on the recipe record, bags, rack map and harvest entries. A format such as 2026-10-10-A is only an example; choose a system that stays unique with several operators. Keep customer orders linked to the batch that supplied them.
2
Record during the work
Enter ingredient weights, spawn lot, treatment record and bag count before memory fades. Note interruptions and uncertain readings. Blank or “not measured” is more informative than invented precision. Keep the temperature record with the batch rather than summarising an incomplete process as “done”.
3
Make daily checks comparable
Use consistent observation times and sensor positions. Record crop stage and changes to misting, airflow or spacing. A reading without time and location is difficult to compare. Keep corrective actions and their follow-up together so the log explains what the operator actually did.
4
Weigh each flush separately
Enter harvest dates and keep total, rejected and saleable weights distinct. If harvests exceed the three flush columns in the CSV, add columns or linked harvest rows instead of overwriting earlier values. Label containers at weighing so harvests from different batches are not mixed accidentally.
5
Reconcile the money
Connect sales and entered costs to the batch. Keep invoices separate from cash received and use a consistent method for shared overheads. The calculator reflects the costs you enter; it cannot discover omitted labour, cooling, transport or equipment costs.
6
Write the next decision
At batch close, choose one change or decide to repeat the method. Record why and what comparison you will use. Keep a backed-up master copy with original measurements so another operator can understand the decision and a later trial can be compared fairly.
Adapt the routine to your site
For paper records, write legibly and transfer entries to the master copy on a set schedule. Retain the paper until the transfer has been checked. Photographing a page can preserve a backup, but it does not automatically create searchable or consistent data.
For spreadsheets, keep an untouched blank template and use a working copy. Add units to any new columns and keep formulas separate from entered measurements. If a summary looks implausible, trace the original rows and units before changing the number to fit expectations.
Useful calculations and the units behind them
Biological efficiency = fresh mushroom mass ÷ dry substrate mass × 100. For example, 12 kg fresh harvest from 20 kg dry substrate is 60%. Bag rejection rate = rejected bags ÷ bags started × 100; four rejected bags out of forty is 10%. These are calculation examples rather than target performance.
Keep grams and kilograms in separate clearly labelled columns, and state whether a mass is wet or dry. The downloaded CSV is an empty working template, not production data. Add one row per batch, retain the original file, and save a working copy. The daily checklist is plain text for easy printing or adaptation.
The calculator above assumes the entered saleable harvest is sold at the entered price. Contribution after entered costs is distinct from net profit. Break-even cost per kilogram rises if less can be sold, even if the crop’s total harvested weight is unchanged.
Troubleshooting quick reference
| Observation | Investigate | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| A harvest entry has no batch ID | Which recipe and spawn lot produced it. | Label harvest containers and enter the ID during weighing. |
| Only healthy bags were counted | Process losses and rejection rate. | Record started, rejected and remaining bags and reconcile the counts. |
| Dry-substrate mass is missing | Biological efficiency cannot be calculated reliably. | Keep dry-recipe records; do not substitute wet bag mass. |
| Costs are estimated after the batch | Missed labour and repeated small purchases. | Retain receipts and log time during each work session. |
| Totals disagree | Double-counting, unit errors and missing rejects. | Trace original rows before changing the summary. |
| A correction has no explanation | Whether a measurement or assumption changed. | Retain the original value and explain the correction in notes. |
Quality-control checklist
Close the loop at batch end
- Bag counts, harvest weights and rejects reconcile.
- Recipe, treatment and spawn lot are traceable.
- Units and wet/dry bases are consistent.
- Sales, returns, entered costs and payments are distinguished.
- One clear next-batch decision is recorded.
The workflow at a glance
- 1 Assign a batch ID
- 2 Record the inputs
- 3 Log daily checks
- 4 Weigh each flush
- 5 Reconcile costs & sales
- 6 Choose the next trial
Sources & field notes
Reviewed 10 October 2026. Follow the instructions for your actual species, strain and equipment. Worked calculations are teaching examples, not measured ICL results.
Further reading on cultivation methods, crop management and farm operations.