News

Due to Covid-19 gathering restrictions, we have temporarily paused our farm tour operations. However, we do look forward to carrying on our tradition for many years into the future, once public safety mandates are lifted. In years past, we have hosted these events bi-yearly -- once in March, and again in October. It is an opportunity for members of the public to visit our Moss Landing mushroom farm, and attend intimate tours of our growing operations, led by the owners and founders of Far West Fungi. Our tours have become so popular, they have nearly sprung into unofficial mini mushroom...

In the midst of this dry California summer, we find ourselves in a short lull between local wild mushroom seasons. It is a fitting time, therefore, to take a look at mushrooms in their dried form. Fresh mushrooms are 80% water, and when you remove that, you are left with a highly concentrated product, packed with flavor and nutrients. Unlike vegetables, which lose much of their nutritional value when processed, dried mushrooms retain all of their medicinal and immune-boosting properties. It is an ideal preservation method, because as long as they are kept away from moisture and pests, dried mushrooms...

July is barbeque season, and mushrooms are an undeniable grill staple. We would be lying if we said we didn't have a favorite, and for the Far West family, the summer favorite is hands down the King Trumpet - Pleurotus eryngii, or King Oyster. The King's large profile offers a generous surface area for searing and a tender, meaty texture, with a sweet, buttery flavor. Sliced along the stem into medallions they offer an undeniable scallop-like texture, or a thinner horizontal slice can be crisped up like bacon. There are so many options - marinated with olive oil and fresh...

Photo of imported logs being fruited in a grow room in Pennsylvania. The United States is in the midst of what is fondly called ‘The Shroom Boom’, and as mushroom farmers, we couldn’t be more excited. The exotic mushroom industry is a growing field with many hobbyist growers finding enough local demand to scale up and turn their hobby into a lucrative business. While there is significant opportunity for exotic mushroom growers, there is also a substantial threat. Mushroom logs are being imported from China in large volumes and are distributed throughout the US. Under the guise of 'spawn', fully...