A room in Vernon, since 2020.
The opposite of an orchard
The Okanagan is orchards, vineyards and dry hills: rows of things that turn sun into fruit. Most of what grows here needs that light. Ours needs the opposite. Inside one cool room in Vernon, hardwood blocks spend two weeks in the dark before humidity, fresh air and a little light tell them to fruit. The room is small enough that the person packing a bag can walk a few metres to the shelf where its cluster grew.
Do you know the mushroom man?
“I started Okanagan Valley Mushrooms in 2020 with a few bags of substrate and a room I could keep cool. Six years later the room is bigger and the list is longer, but the routine is the same: soak, sterilize, inoculate, wait, pick. The best part is still cutting a cluster the morning someone is going to cook it.”
— The mushroom man
Kitchens we supply
- Block One at 50th Parallel Estate Winery
Questions people ask
Where can I get your mushrooms?
Pickup in Vernon, delivery to Vernon and Kelowna on Thursdays, or at the market. Send an order request and we will confirm.
How fresh is fresh?
Everything is picked the morning it goes out. Nothing is held over the weekend.
Are they organic?
We do not hold organic certification. The substrate is soy hulls and hardwood pellets, and nothing else goes into the block.
Can I visit?
The grow room is a clean room, so no drop-ins. If you are curious, ask; we sometimes do small tours.
Do you sell to restaurants?
Yes. Standing weekly orders, one delivery day. Ask about chef orders.
Do you sell grow kits or dried mushrooms?
Not yet.
What do you do with the spent blocks?
They go back into the ground.
Why are they more expensive than supermarket mushrooms?
Small batches, hand-picked, sold within a day. You are paying for the day, not the mushroom.