Needham Mushroom Farm

Needham Mushroom Farm London Grove Township, Chester County, PA

Growing the Hy-Tech Mushroom Needham Mushroom Farm
Hy-Tech Mushroom Compost provides mushroom substrate, an organic growing medium for mushroom production. Its substrate is a unique stage III product that allows customers to grow mushrooms from a block mixed with spawn and compost.

Hy-Tech embraces innovation as a key part of its business strategy, leading to its long-standing success. As such, the company needed to expand its operations to meet its current and growing demand.

Design and Permitting a Large, Multi-Phase Farm Expansion
The two-phase Needham Mushroom Farm project included the addition of a 15,000 SF building, a 77,000 SF building, and a 75,000 SF building; an infiltration/bio-retention pond with a wet pond attached; and street frontage improvements.

The project required 15 variances and three special exceptions due to the limitations of the site and the type of operation. The site had several constraints ranging from steep slopes to it being bisected by a public ROW.

One of the obstacles that the RGS team had to manage was sequencing so the farm could maintain its operations during construction. The community surrounding the farm also expressed concerns over the composting process. The client reached out to the community and township early in the design phase of the project to help mitigate concerns over the composting process. RGS worked with the client and local municipalities to secure the proper subdivision and land development permitting. As a result of continuous communication between the township and RGS, the township continuously supported the client’s approach to the site.

Stormwater Management Design to Maximize Composting Operations
RGS designed the property’s stormwater basin to include two components: a wet portion and a dry portion. Stormwater Runoff enters the wet basin portion and then dissipates into the dry portion for infiltration to meet NPDES requirements. This provides the client with an additional supply of water for the compositing operation.

The RGS team fully supported Hy-Tech Mushroom’s expansion project, providing the studies, design, and permitting needed to grow its farm and business operations.