Decentralized Mushroom Micro-farms
The Problem
Mushrooms are both delicious and nutritious. But they're also expensive, in part due to the practice of growing them in expensive, climate controlled indoor grow rooms. The cost, and climate impact of these energy intensive operations limit the scaling and accessibility of this key crop and potential medicinal treasure trove.
The Opportunity
Unlike plants, which prefer sunny, tropical conditions, mushrooms thrive in the same climates we do: not too hot, not too cold, not too dry, a little bit of sunlight and fresh air. The ease of growing mushrooms at home in a decentralized fashion isn't for everyone, but does demonstrate the possibility of co-locating mushroom production in the same spaces we already inhabit (and climate control).
With rural agricultural land shrinking, climate change making the weather dramatically more unpredictable, and a vast majority of residential/commercial spaces underutilized, a compelling case can be made for a new type of urban agriculture to emerge.
What We’re Doing About It
We think everybody should grow mushrooms all the time in every spare corner they own: at home, at school, in their office, in every mall, library and movie theatre. But, time, materials, sterility and experience limit all but the most die-hard enthusiasts.
We're hard at work developing ways to overcome that barrier to entry, growing the number of people cultivating mushrooms for themselves and their local community.
We're excited to launch our newest project, Fostered Fungi, that looks to put this idea in action. Learn more at our sister website: www.fosteredfungi.com