"We have been working on this project for 18 months now. We're doing this project to take back responsibility and control of our supply. We could easily import from 'organically certified' farms across the globe, but we know that this is truly organically made and in an ethical manner," says Skeets, founder of the Mushroom Compadres.
Skeets inside the farm
Positioned in the small hamlet of Rogil, Portugal, the mushroom farm is the economic engine and heart of their operation. The headquarters is a 280m2 building that formerly functioned as a grocery store. The farm exists of four growing rooms growing lions mane, oyster mushrooms, Resihi mushrooms, and Maitake mushrooms.
'The lab'
The inner sanctum of the mushroom farm is the lab, where their culture bank is with Petri dishes full of various cultures of mushrooms. The lab is where they do all the cleaning work. Yet, in the production room where the inoculated substrate is held. The substrate exists of ground-up wood mixed with various spores.
Surprisingly, the mushrooms are first grown on grain to have them establish themselves. Afterward, they'll be transferred to unicorn bags that are filled with substrate, using the strictest protocols of hippie hygiene. "So basically, we're inoculating the substrate, leaving it alone to colonize the food and wait for harvest in a few weeks' time."
For the oyster mushrooms, they can be ready to start fruiting, as Skeets explains. All substrate is mixed in-house in a humongous 400-liter mixer. We're using pellets of either hardwood or straw pellets with some calcium and a bit of nutrition, like wheat bran.
After hydrating it, the substrate will be bagged and put in a tank. Then about 140-160 bags are put in there at the same time. Turn on the boiler which pumps steam into the chamber and pasteurizes the bags, killing most of the bacteria and pathogens that could outcompete the mushrooms.
Their self-created misters have been a result of the genius of the internet, as Skeets explains, laughing. And they work! The steam boxes and ultra-sonic misters provide an even environment of between 80-90% humidity. Soon more exciting announcements will be shared about new products.
For more information:
Mushroom Compadres
https://mushroomcompadres.com