Shroom for more
Love them or hate them, the humble mushroom is a culinary powerhouse, offering rich flavors, diverse textures, and surprising health benefits in every bite. Sam Kirby explores the world of the shroom with local mushroom farmers, Ken & Robyn.
Published 12 July
Written by: Sam Kirby
Photography: Oh Tilly Photography
Let's be honest, mushrooms have had a rough few years (through no real fault of their own, mind you).
Yet from culinary delight to cleaning up commericial oil-spills (for real), applications in biodegradeable fashion and as a sustainable building material, love them or hate them, these enigmatic little inhabitants of the forest floor are actually nothing short of extraordinary.
For many of us, our knowledge of the humble fungi likely extends little further than the familiar button mushrooms found in our supermarkets (or, like me, forgotten in the bottom of our crisper draw).
And yet, within the exotic 'world of the shroom', the likes of shiitake, oyster, and enoki mushrooms each bring their own distinctive flavour, texture, and nutrient-dense benefits to the table. Shiitake mushrooms, for instance, are renowned for their rich umami flavour and immune-boosting properties, while oyster mushrooms are celebrated for their delicate texture and mild, nutty taste.
Amongst the 400-odd varieties of edible mushrooms are numerous species spruiking benefits such as reduced inflammation, supporting heart and brain health, helping to regulate blood glucose levels, and such is their importance to ecological balance that experts suggest their absence would pose a significant threat to the balance and health of the planet.
From the culinary wonders they create to the environmental solutions they offer, mushrooms prove themselves to be versatile, valuable, and endlessly resourceful. Just ask local mushroom farmers Ken Goulter & Robyn Ayles.
From launching Top of the Range Mushrooms at their Darling Heights farm in 2018, to selling their product at the local farmers markets; the pair now happily count most of the region's gourmet restaurants and cafes as their customers, growing and supplying more than 40kgs of mushroom per week.
"It really is one of those passions that has just continued to grow and grow and grow" (pun of course intended).
"If you think about how lite mushrooms are, it's quite a LOT of mushrooms", Robyn explains, as she prepares crates of vibrant pink oyster for delivery later that afternoon.
For Ken, a mycologist by trade, and driving force behind the business, it was his work and passion for fungi that initially prompted the idea.
"I was studying the use of fungi to prevent weeds on farms at the time, so I was interested in growing various sorts of mushrooms. Robyn also wanted to get back into growing something, so it seemed like a natural fit", he explains.
Fast forward six years, and as the couple share, 'we actually can't grow them fast enough to keep up' (this despite the rather quick cycle from 'planting' to plate).
Of course, for Ken and Robyn the passion for mushrooms has always been one of educating others about their many incredible qualities, as well as showcasing the variety of Australian native mushrooms in particular.
"We started to collect and cultivate these beautiful native-pink and Queensland-white variaties, we had a Pinic Point mushroom for a while, and we now grow a native enoki (from the Dandenongs) and a wild shittake, amoungst others", Robyn continues.
"For us, we love to see other people start experiencing the health benefits and get as excited as we do."
And whilst Ken and Robyn's story is definitely a story of finding something you love and watching it grow as you share that passion with others, it is also a story about the growing trend over recent years towards innovative small and often boutique micro-farming, particularly in urban areas (something mushrooms are perfect for).
Using vertical farming techniques and environmentally friendly practices (the mushrooms grow in vertically suspended bags filled with natural substrates), the whole commercial operation and laboratory takes up less than the equivalent of 3 shipping containers, and is an example of how innovative farming practices can be harnessed at even a backyard scale to increase sustainability, energy efficiency and even reduce 'food miles' (a concept being increasingly considered in the food production industry).
"It's why we've started to host information sessions and workshops and now have a range of DIY Kits; so that anyone can do it, [whether it be mushrooms, or veggies of herbs, or whatever] anyone can grow their own food at home".
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@ topoftherangegourmetmushrooms
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