Mar 29, 2022
Image sourced from Southwest Mushrooms
Editor’s Note: This is an investigative article from Justin Hyunjae Chung, Agritecture’s Agriculture Technologist. Justin evaluates CEA technologies to be used for feasibility studies, farm design, and due diligence. He obtained a Biosystems Engineering master’s degree at the University of Arizona’s Controlled Environment Agriculture Center (CEAC) where his thesis work revolved around vertical farming and specialty mushroom cultivation.
Specialty mushrooms are among the most visually appealing and alienesque crops that can be grown in controlled environment agriculture (CEA) systems.
Image sourced from Paul Stamets’ guide ‘Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms’
Entrepreneurs, researchers, and amateur mycologists have long been intrigued by the challenge of harnessing mycelium to cultivate mushrooms. There are a variety of different methods to grow mushrooms, including stumps, logs, buckets, trays, bottles, and polypropylene bags.
Defined by the USDA as any species of mushroom that does not belong to the genus Agaricus or “button mushrooms”, specialty mushrooms consist of many different species. These include the recently popularized shiitake (Lentinula edodes), lion’s mane (Hericium erinaceus), oyster (Pleurotus ostreatus), and chestnut mushrooms (Pholiota adiposa).
Currently, button mushrooms dominate the US market, accounting for over 90% of total U.S. mushroom consumption. This is primarily due to its ability to be mass-produced in a centralized location, transportation durability, and long shelf-life.
In 2020, it was estimated that Pennsylvania accounted for over 66% of total mushroom sales, largely concentrated in the tiny region of Kennett Square.
The 10% of US-produced mushrooms that are “specialty mushrooms” are poised to gain a larger market share. The market opportunity expands beyond fresh specialty mushrooms to value-added products such as powders, tinctures, and other types of functional extracts.
Over the last few years, the general public has started to become more aware of the health benefits of mushrooms (specifically around protein as a meat-alternative), as well as the medicinal benefits of certain species of fungi. There has also been a growing desire to try new textures and flavors from a culinary standpoint.
Furthermore, there is an undeniable cultural shift as documentaries such as Fantastic Fungi are converting more people from mycophobes (those who fear fungi) to mycophiles (those who are fond of fungi).
With the growing craze, Smallhold launched their very own cookbook, ‘Mushrooms in the Middle: A Smallhold Cookbook.’ In an effort to make their specialty mushrooms less intimidating and the main dish on your dinner plate, this book is filled with mushroom recipes from the team’s chef friends and mushroom community. It features surprising concoctions like the Creamy Mushroom Phyllo Pie, the frozen Salted Caramel Shiitake Mousse, and the Mushroom Bloody Mary.
Image from Justin’s own mushroom chamber, for which he received the initial seed funding from Tech Launch Arizona's Student Innovation Challenge; image sourced from Justin Hyunjae Chung
Image of Desert Pearl Mushrooms’ farm located in Tucson, Arizona; image sourced from Justin Hyunjae Chung
Image from Justin’s own mushroom chamber, for which he received the initial seed funding from Tech Launch Arizona's Student Innovation Challenge; image sourced from Justin Hyunjae Chung
It’s clear that mushroom production and specialty mushroom consumption have been growing in popularity.
According to the 2021 Global CEA Census, 22% of respondents (CEA growers) are considering growing mushrooms in the near future, making it one of the most popular crops on growers’ minds after berries.
From the grower’s perspective, the increased availability of online resources and Smallhold’s growing success, including closing a $25 million Series A round, has inspired many young urban farmers to start their own operations. Specialty mushrooms are slowly being seen as a high-value niche crop that can be grown in small spaces.
If you’re interested in the agricultural side of the mysterious fungal kingdom, here is a list of five must-follow YouTube channels:
Located in Phoenix, Arizona, this team utilizes retrofitted hydroponic grow tents as fruiting chambers to grow a wide variety of mushrooms, including lion’s mane, reishi, pioppino, golden enoki, and elm oyster. Equipped with visually stunning mushrooms, Mike produces videos that are jam-packed with information on operational procedures and his own unique techniques.
What differentiates Southwest Mushroom’s Youtube channel from the rest is the use of retrofitted grow tents within a warehouse and the level of production quality in each video.
Based in Missouri, this Youtube channel heavily discusses the economic viability of starting a mushroom farm. Not afraid of being too blunt, T.R. Davis shares his tips and tricks that empowered him to become a maestro of shiitake production.
His recent videos on maitake production are much welcomed by the mycology community since this species of mushroom is notorious for being difficult to harness. As the originator of the widely used “master’s mix”, Davis is well informed on what it takes to start a successful mushroom production operation.
This Youtube channel consistently shares in-depth instructional content as well as Q&A sessions to connect with other growers. Constantly looking to experiment with new techniques and substrates, Andrew highlights the benefits of liquid culture and the importance of choosing the right strain.
Although his methods may seem strange initially, he is not afraid to admit his mistakes. Through this process of trial and error, he has developed authentic and original operational processes that he is not afraid to share with the world.
Myers Mushrooms is a channel dedicated to giving advice on cultivation equipment with a heavy emphasis on DIY. From building his own HEPA filtered flow hood to showing off his automatic bagger to reduce labor costs, Eric finds clever and thoughtful ways to automate processes.
For those that want to start a mushroom operation in their own garage or shed, there is no better Youtube channel than Myers Mushrooms to start the learning process.
Tony from FreshCap Mushrooms is a leader in providing educational content on fungi. His videos unearth offbeat and interesting topics within mycology and give practical advice on how beginners can grow mushrooms from the comfort of their own homes.
With the highest subscriber count out of all the channels on this list, FreshCap Mushrooms is super beginner-friendly. Tony uses minimal technical and industry-specific jargon, enabling all to enjoy his easily digestible content.
