In his book Mycelium Running, mycologist Paul Stamets theorizes that mushrooms could have come to earth from outer space. “It is possible that germplasm could travel throughout the galactic expanses riding on comets or carried by stellar winds,” he writes. “Spores have no borders.” And now that I’m learning about the astonishing uses and variety of mushrooms from Ashley Edgerton, who knows and grows them in Fairfield as Mushroom Mama, I’m thinking, “Okay, maybe some did come from out there. . . .”
Whether mushrooms are of alien origins or not, it turns out you can easily grow edible and medicinal mushrooms on this planet, in a very short time, by using countertop kits you can get online. Once they’re grown, you can cook them or eat them raw and secure the benefits for your health for very little money. And they’ll be organically grown!
Mushrooms Everywhere
On our planet, there are probably more than a million species of fungi, of which mushrooms are a sub-kingdom. Mushrooms grow from a living base of threadlike hyphae called mycelium, a white filamentous root system. Mycelium actually creates the soil through decomposition. It feeds itself by digesting dead plants and trees and gives the soil revived life to foster and feed our forests. A mycelial mat can be small and local, or grow in the soil to become a horizontal mat miles across. The largest known mycelial mat in the world is the “Humongous Fungus,” located in Oregon’s Malheur National Forest and covering 2,385 acres or about 4 square miles!
Countertop Mushroom Gardens
Commercial mushroom growers grow mycelium in specially built environments. In your home beginners kit, the live mycelium comes in a bag that’s been inoculated with mushroom spawn, or spores. The bag is filled with grain, straw, or sawdust, and it’s ready to grow.
As rank beginners in the world of grow kits, Ashley and I got a Mushroom Spray & Grow Kit to grow pink oysters from a company called North Spore, based in Maine, for $24. It came in a box already inoculated with pink oyster spawn and clear instructions printed right on top: “Just open the front of the box, cut an ‘X’ into the plastic bag, spray with water 2–3 times a day, and watch them grow!”
Ashley and I did just that, placing the box on a table out of direct sunlight, with easy access to air, which the baby mushrooms need to form the mushroom fruit body. Our first batch produced mushrooms within 12 days.
Mushrooms Are Superfoods
Besides being tasty, mushrooms are considered a nutritional superfood, rich in nutrients and bioactive compounds. They are naturally low in calories and fat, and contain B vitamins, selenium, potassium, and copper—nutrients that help your body make energy and keep your nerves working. In Mycelium Running, Stamets goes deeply into their many benefits and the best mushrooms for your health.
Getting Started
Ordering an online kit is a quick way to get started with growing mushrooms. If you’d like to learn more, Ashley, currently a student in the MIU Regenerative Organic Agriculture program, would be delighted to answer your questions at mama4mushrooms@gmail.com. She’ll also be offering winter workshops and classes to help you grow your own.