Making mushrooms even more sustainable than they already are
Mushroom production is environmentally friendly by its very nature, but growers are looking for more ways to use less and reduce waste because it’s the right thing to do and they need to trim their budgets somehow amid this inflationary economic climate.
First Generation Farms, Toughkenamon, Pa., is finding more ways to reduce waste, use less and minimize losses, said Sonya Beltran, director of operations.
“Customers are wanting to be included in the sustainable movement,” Beltran said. “We don't sell to retail, but our wholesale packaging is in cardboard boxes.”
The fact that brown mushrooms grow in compost is just the start of how sustainable the process is, said Bruce Knobeloch, vice president of marketing and product development at Monterey Mushrooms, Watsonville, Calif.
“The synergy is pretty cool. We’re reusing recycled raw material, very little water and at the end, the compost is recycled. We’re about as sustainable as you can get,” Knobeloch said. “And as consumers add mushrooms to their meat, they’re using less meat.”
Other organizations are finding more ways to use byproducts other than the soil or peat — the parts of the mushroom that don’t get consumed in the whole, fresh market.
Sean Steller, director of business development at Phillips Mushroom Farms, Kennett Square, Pa., said his company is exploring new ideas.
“Phillips is working with some innovative restaurant operators to upcycle underutilized mushroom byproducts and reduce waste,” he said.
East Coast Dehydrators, Narvon, Pa., works for some growers, said owner Sam Coroniti.
The company is 100% Pennsylvania-certified organic.
“We are already a pretty environmentally sustainable organization,” Coroniti said.
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