Fungus or not, the vegetable that grows out of composting matter is loaded with protein, vitamins, minerals and fibre. So what makes one suddenly want to start growing mushrooms?

French Canadian sommelier Marie-Eve Arseneault and French chef Alexis Galus began growing lionB次元官网网址檚 mane mushrooms in Smithers, B.C., for their own culinary and medicinal purposes; however, in 2020, a landslide closed the only road leading up to Smithers.

B次元官网网址淣o trucks or food trucks were coming up north B次元官网网址� We realized that if something really big happened, we donB次元官网网址檛 have many [food producers] up north. And we were already growing for our own personal consumption, so we decided, well, letB次元官网网址檚 get going,B次元官网网址� Arseneault told Black Press Media.

The couple built a container farm on their property, allowing them to do everything from scratch B次元官网网址� whether inoculating mushrooms or selling mycelium liquid cultures to other mushroom growers.

B次元官网网址淥ne of the things we thought about when building our farm is that mushrooms are a crop that can go bad quickly, so we thought, B次元官网网址榳hat can we do not to put our products in the garbage?B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�

So they added another container to the farm and built a kitchen, allowing them to process their mushrooms.

Along with being a food producer in the north, Arseneault said that vegetarians and vegans are growing in number, and mushrooms are becoming the centre of a plate, instead of a side. On average, they grow around 20 varieties of mushrooms, adding seasonal varieties depending on the climate the mushrooms like.

B次元官网网址淭he lionB次元官网网址檚 mane mushroom looks like your brain and tastes a bit like lobster or shrimp. When you cook it, itB次元官网网址檚 so versatile. You can pull it as pork or you can make crab cakes or cook it like a steak. Chestnut mushrooms have cute caps and are really crunchy. Black poplar is a little bit more nutty flavour.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e definitely in the shroom boom,B次元官网网址� said Arseneault.

Arseneault and Galus met in MontrealB次元官网网址檚 restaurant industry before venturing to Whistler, B.C., in 2008. After GalusB次元官网网址� visa ran out in 2011, they headed to Australia, where they could finally learn English B次元官网网址� as it turned out, Whistler was filled with Francophones.

The couple returned to Whistler in 2014, staying only briefly. A ski trip in Smithers convinced them to establish roots in the northern town by early 2015.

While the adventurous couple has had to slow down in terms of travelling, things continue to be busy.

B次元官网网址淢ushroom farming is like dairy farming. You have to be here every day, so itB次元官网网址檚 a pretty big change.B次元官网网址�

The coupleB次元官网网址檚 son, S枚ren Galus, who turns five this summer, helps out, too.

B次元官网网址淗e pretends to love mushrooms at the market, but he doesnB次元官网网址檛 like eating them,B次元官网网址� laughed Arseneault.

B次元官网网址淭he only thing I have been able to trick him with is the lionB次元官网网址檚 mane because itB次元官网网址檚 a little bit like tofu in many ways. So IB次元官网网址檝e been pretending itB次元官网网址檚 chicken and stuff.B次元官网网址�

When the fruiting blocks are ready, which are a mix of hardwood pellets and soil, they turn white. This means the mushrooms have fully colonized the blocks. Next, they move from incubation to the fruiting room. Here, they can control the humidity, CO2 levels, airflow (changed every five to six minutes) and temperature, which is necessary in a climate where temperatures go from -40 C to 30 C seasonally.

B次元官网网址淔or example, the black pearl, if we give it too much humidity, itB次元官网网址檒l show signs of too much humidity, but another mushroom will love that amount.B次元官网网址�

Cleanliness is a huge factor when it comes to mushroom growing. To help combat this, the walls in the facility are made of plastic panels. In addition, the fruiting room is deep cleaned once a week, with individual areas cleaned more often as needed.

After the fruiting room comes the kitchen, where fresh mushrooms are processed B次元官网网址� dehydrated or perhaps turned into a mushroom risotto B次元官网网址� and packaged before being sent to retailers or heading to the local farmersB次元官网网址� market.

The mushroom farm, licenced with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, grows lionB次元官网网址檚 mane mushrooms, blue oysters, black pearls, turkey tails, chestnuts, golden mushrooms and more.

B次元官网网址淔or me, coming from the wine industry, where you always have something to learn, mushrooms are exactly the same,B次元官网网址� said Arseneault.

B次元官网网址淲e have so much to discover.B次元官网网址�

Learn more about the mushroom farmers by visiting smithereensmushroom.com.