Dry spawns were first produced in sheets, but later, spawns were produced in the form of clay bricks. To produce these bricks, compost and clay were formed into brick blocks 1.9 inches (five cm.) wide. Then a small hole was made in the corner of the bricks and some spawn was placed inside. When the spawn covered the whole surface of the brick, it was dried and made ready to use.
In another method, used earlier, farmers used the soil where the mushrooms grew naturally to produce spawns. They spread the soil over a prepared surface and allowed it to cover the whole surface. Then they used some to grow mushrooms, and dried up the rest for later use.
Because in both methods the spawns were not sterile, disease spread with the spawn and infected the products. Today, common table salt is used to help kill crop-threatening bacteria.
By 1924 Leaverleigh Farms prospered. George and Lloyd built rhubarb sheds and a boiler plant on the east side of Stanfield Road and planted apple, cherry and pear trees on the west side.
In 1928 Lloyd and his father tried to grow mushrooms by using one side of a rhubarb shed. Their first attempt ended in failure as the few mushrooms produced did not pay for the cost of the imported spawn.
The following year Lloyd and Amy were married and the first profitable mushroom crop was produced. However, it all happened just as the stock market crashed and everyone was about to face the inevitable hard times.
Leaverleigh Farms, however, managed to survive because they were producing a line of food products, which could be traded for other goods and services when cash was in short supply.
The period 1930-1934 saw a change in that the business became more tree fruit and less vegetables. Lloyd, however, continued to experiment with growing mushrooms and, by 1936 the first block of mushroom houses was built in place of the rhubarb winter forcing shed. A garage for composting was built, which later became part of the maintenance shop.
A large cold storage plant was built in 1938 and above the building were employee rooms. During the construction of this facility, Lloyd fell and fractured his skull. It would be a year before he was fully recovered and by this time Canada was sending troops overseas in World War 11.
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