Why Mushrooms? 

    • These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not meant to prevent, heal, or treat any disease.

    Mushrooms are fantastic organisms that we’re discovering more about each day. As a food source there are several factors that make them important.

    1 . Mushrooms are a complete protein containing all of the amino acids required for human nutrition.*

    2. Two important types of carbohydrates are found in mushrooms: homo and hetero-polymeric glucan molecules known to have positive biological effects on animal and human bodies.*

    3. In addition to their general health benefits, many mushrooms have scientifically backed research ranging form improving cognition healthier immune function.*

    4. Mushrooms are a low impact food. Mushroom cultivation utilizes agricultural waste resulting in a tiny carbon footprint compared to any other protein. Each lb of beef produces 22-26 lbs of CO2 equivalent/pound. In contrast, mushrooms only emit 0.5-1.5 pounds of CO2 equivalents per pound of product.

    5. Mushrooms are extremely water efficient. We use about only about ½ gallon of water for every pound of fruit. Beef, on the other hand uses, between 1590-2000 gallons for every pound of meat. For a plant comparison: Tomatoes utilize 22-28 gallons of water/pound of fruit.

  • Genetic studies show that fungi are actually more closely related to animals than plants. Their cells are made up of chitin, the same component found in exoskeletons of insects.

  • 140,000 species. By some estimates this accounts for between 1-3.7% of fungi on earth. That leaves a lot to be discovered!

  • Of these 140,000 species, only 45 species are cultivated, and a mere 5 species account for the majority of commercial production.

  • Growing mushrooms requires many steps. We control each step of the journey from the laboratory to the fruiting room.

    In summary we take agricultural waste (sawdust and soyhull), pasteurize it in our PLA fully compostable bags, then inoculate these bags with myceliated grain spawn made in our lab. After incubation, these bags are moved to the fruiting room where humidity, CO2 levels, and temperature are balanced to provide the correct conditions for fruiting.

    Our choice of PLA fully compostable bags sets us apart from almost all other mushrooms farms which rely on single use, non-compostable plastic bags.

    Utilizing PLA compostable bags is both more expensive, and requires requires extra care as bags will easily melt in the pasteurization phase resulting in ruined substate. This is one major reason that other companies don’t use this technique: it requires extra care and precision.

  • In addition to their incredible potential as a food source, mushrooms are being uses in other incredible ways.

    • One study on oyster mushroom found that the species detoxified soil from pesticides and herbicides. The fruit, when examined was free of harmful chemicals, indicating that the oyster mushroom broke down the chemical elements into biodegradable substances.

    • Mushrooms are being used to biodegrade multiple types of plastics. We are currently experimenting with Pestalotiopsis microspora,a species from the Amazon river basin that eats polyurethane and PETE plastics. In laboratory settings, two strains of P. microspora degraded half of the polyester polyurethane plastic they was grown on. By day 16 near complete degradation was observed. This remarkable rate of biodegrading was about the same in environments with and without oxygen, making this species a possibility in treating landfills.

    • Companies are creating and selling Biodegradable styrofoam packaging and insulation, and mushrooms leather alternatives.

    • Did you know that plants communicate share nutrients through a mycelium network (mushroom roots)?

    • In one teaspoon of health forest soil you could find between 8 and 11 miles of mycelium. Under a single foot print, you could find about 300 miles of mycelial thread.

    • One study found that one yeast creates a pressure inside it’s mycelium walls of 10-15 atm. That’s about three times the pressure found in a car tire!

    • When a rocket launches, it creates 3-4 Gs of force. Studies have found that certain species launch spores from the fruiting body at speeds up to 25,000 Gs!

    • Recent research suggests fungi can “learn” from environmental cues, remember shapes, and even solve problems, hinting at a primitive form of memory and decision-making

    • Mushrooms create their own wind: Some mushrooms can actively create localized air currents by releasing water vapor, helping to disperse their spores even in still air. This process, called evaporative cooling, allows them to spread more effectively

    • The honey mushroom (Armillaria solidipes) in Oregon is the largest living organism on Earth, spanning 3.5 miles (over 2,300 acres) and estimated to be thousands of years old. Most of its mass is underground as mycelium, with only small mushrooms appearing above ground seasonally

    • The Cordyceps mushroom infects ants, takes over their nervous system, and compels them to climb vegetation to the specific height favorable for releasing spores into the airstream. Then if forces the ant to bite into a plant vein on a specific orientation on the plant for access to water for the most ideal fruiting conditions. The fungus then kills the ant and sprouts from its body, releasing spores to infect more ants—a real-life inspiration for “The Last of Us”

    • Bioluminescent mushrooms: about 80 known species of mushrooms glow in the dark. This glowing is thought to attract insects that in turn disperse spores. We are growing one of the brightest species of glow in dark mushroom Panellus Stipticus, also know as foxfire.