Anubhav Shukla lives in Kanpur district of Uttar Pradesh, where he runs a small, climate-controlled unit growing button mushrooms. His work relies on creating artificial temperature and humidity inside enclosed rooms, allowing mushrooms to be grown year-round rather than only in the winter season.The unit follows a defined process—prepared compost is filled into bags, mixed with spawn, and moved into an air-conditioned chamber where the temperature is first held steady to allow the mycelium to spread. A controlled drop in temperature and careful layering triggers pin formation, followed by harvests that continue in multiple flushes over several days. Throughout the cycle, air circulation, humidity, and carbon dioxide levels are monitored to keep conditions stable.Button mushrooms are grown primarily for the table market, and Shukla limits his work to this variety for now, even though he is familiar with others, such as oyster and medicinal mushrooms. “This crop needs precision more than land,” he explains, noting that artificial control allows consistent output even as weather patterns shift.From software screens to growing chambersBefore moving into agriculture, Shukla worked as a frontend software developer, building skills in web technologies and holding a regular job. The shift was gradual rather than abrupt. While training at… Read MoreYourStory RSS Feed
