Mushrooms 101

There’s nothing quite like foraging through one of Washington’s many forests and stumbling across a treasure trove of wild mushrooms. Like a video game come to life, you can simply clamber over stumps and mossy patches to gather morels, chanterelles, and cauliflower mushrooms. It’s a favorite pastime for many Washingtonians for good reason — it’s great entertainment, and you get to head home with a bag of free food!

Washington residents have been finding mushrooms in the woods since time immemorial, but it’s only within the last century that farmers have begun farming them commercially. Though Washington is a hotspot for growing all sorts of plants, mushrooms have been slower to take root commercially — because technically, they’re not a plant at all.

Mushrooms are fascinating organisms that stand apart from plants and animals. They belong to the kingdom of fungi and have a unique way of thriving that sets them apart from other life forms. Unlike plants, which depend on sunlight to perform photosynthesis, mushrooms absorb nutrients by decomposing organic matter. This process allows them to flourish in environments where sunlight is scarce, often thriving in dark, damp conditions. Their cell walls, composed of chitin— a material also found in the exoskeletons of insects — give mushrooms a distinctive texture and resilience.

Many people don’t realize that a mushroom is only one piece of the larger fungal life cycle. The main body of the organism is known as mycelium, which starts as a spore (which is comparable to a seed, but each mushroom produces tens of thousands of them) and grows in multiple directions as it seeks food to digest. Mycelium is to a mushroom what a vine is to a grape. Just as any good tomato grower knows that they need to grow healthy plants to produce beautiful tomatoes, likewise, a mushroom farmer must cultivate a healthy mycelium first and then create a favorable environment for mushrooms to fruit. When the environmental conditions are right, mycelium will form mushrooms.

Washington State is an ideal setting for the cultivation of mushrooms, thanks to its climate and abundant resources. The Pacific Northwest is renowned for its mild temperatures and consistent rainfall, conditions that naturally create a humid environment perfect for mushroom growth. This natural moisture reduces the need for artificial humidification in commercial cultivation, making the production process more energy-efficient and sustainable. This mushroom-friendly climate is why the little things pop up all over, even where they’re not cultivated.

But what if they were cultivated? If mushrooms grow so easily here unattended, wouldn’t they grow even better under the watchful eye of a farmer? Well, yes — but the reality is complicated.

On one hand, Washington is a great place to grow mushrooms for a variety of reasons. In addition to the climate, the state's thriving forestry and agricultural sectors generate ample organic by-products, such as wood chips and straw, which serve as excellent substrates for mushroom cultivation. This synergy between agriculture and mushroom production not only makes economic sense but also promotes a circular, environmentally friendly approach to farming. Unlike many food crops, little or no land is needed to grow mushrooms. They could be grown in a closet or in the basement of a Seattle apartment.

But like any other farming, commercial mushroom cultivation is complex. The process begins with the preparation of a nutrient-rich substrate, which is often a small rectangular block of straw, sawdust, soybean hulls, or wheat bran. The block is sterilized to eliminate competing organisms, providing a safe haven for the mushroom mycelium. Once the substrate is inoculated with spores or mycelium, the controlled environment is maintained at optimal conditions until the mycelium fully colonizes the block. Later, subtle changes in temperature and humidity encourage the mycelium to form the mushrooms that are eventually harvested and brought to market. In Washington, producers carefully regulate temperature, humidity, and ventilation in indoor facilities to create an ideal environment for year-round growth.

The Evergreen State is a fertile ground for mushroom production of all types. The combination of innovative agricultural practices and a commitment to sustainability supports a growing industry that is projected to grow by 10% in the next five years. New mushroom products are coming to the market all the time, and the future seems bright for commercial mushroom production. Whether you’re foraging for mushrooms in the wild or piling up blocks of substrate in your spare closet, there’s nothing quite like the earthy magic of mushrooms.