Cooperative Living June 2022 - 37

FARM LIFE
In 2017,
A Fungi
by Alice Kemp, Virginia Farm Bureau Federation
Virginia growers are putting mushrooms on the map
V
irginia might not be known for its mushrooms, but
they're becoming increasingly popular as more
growers and consumers
venture into the world of fungi.
According to the U.S.
Department of Agriculture's 2017
Census of Agriculture, 41 Virginia
farms grow mushrooms, accounting
for about $761,000 in sales
that year.
While that's a tiny portion of
Virginia's overall agricultural
portfolio, farmers like Matthew
Reiss of Gnomestead Hollow
Farm and Forage in Carroll
County are working to encourage
more interest.
" It's gained a lot of traction, "
Reiss says. " A lot more people are
growing. A lot more people are
foraging, especially since the
pandemic. Mushroom culture
is thriving. "
TASTE THE FLAV
Depending on the season, Reiss
grows from fi e to 15 mushroom
varieties that he sells at farmers
markets and to retail stores in
Floyd, Roanoke, Blacksburg and
Winston-Salem, N.C. He also has a
solid restaurant clientele, and notes
that people enjoy mushrooms'
variety of unique, earthy flavors.
" People think 'earthy' tastes like
Far above, the mushroom business is booming for
Paul and Katie Schofield, who recently expanded
their Dinwiddie County operation.
Above, in addition to selling to farmers markets and
restaurants, Matthew Reiss teaches farmers how to
diversify their operations by growing mushrooms.
dirt, but it doesn't, " he says. " Some
have this really nice, deep umami flavor, like the shiitake.
Oyster mushrooms have a delicate, nutty fl vor that intensifies
when you sauté or roast them. "
Lion's mane, with their slight seafood essence, work well
for faux crab cakes. Reishi mushrooms, Reiss says, are bitter
and are sometimes made into teas with ginger and honey.
THE GROWING PROCESS
In Dinwiddie County, Paul and
co-opliving.com
41 Virginia farms
grew mushrooms,
accounting
for $761,000
in sales.
Katie Schofield of Schofield Farm have one of the largest
mushroom-growing operations in Virginia. Th couple raises
and harvests around 600 pounds
of mushrooms each week -
oysters, shiitake, lion's mane and
maitake - that they sell at farmers
markets, through communitysupported
agriculture farms and
to restaurants around Richmond
and Colonial Heights.
Th y also sell growing kits to
farms and individuals, encouraging
others to explore the world of
mushrooms.
Paul Schofield explains that
when growing mushrooms, " you
need the right humidity and
temperature range. Blue oysters
like it cooler. Shiitake like it a little
bit warmer. Lion's mane likes it
kind of cool, but not cold. "
Both Reiss and Schofield mix
their own substrate, typically
consisting of sawdust and wheat
bran, which acts as growing media
for fungi. Once the substrate is
inoculated with spores, the
mycelium, the vegetative part
of fungi, establishes and the
fruiting begins.
" Th lion's mane grows slowly, "
Schofield says. " Once it starts
fruiting, it'll be seven days before
they can be harvested. "
Bright yellow oyster mushrooms,
on the other hand, take
about three days to grow, he adds.
In addition to unique fl vors, mushrooms are packed
with health benefits. From antibacterial and antiviral
properties to boosts for immune, heart and brain health,
they're also " full of vitamin D, full of protein and selenium, "
Katie Schofield says.
" Always cook your mushrooms, " Reiss advises. Mushrooms
have an outer cell layer called chitin that needs to be
broken down before eating. 
June 2022 ● Cooperative Living ●
35
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Cooperative Living June 2022

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