Buying guides
Buy better mushrooms
How to find a grower, what to ask at the stand, how to keep what you bring home, and how to grow a few yourself.
How to buy mushrooms from a local grower
Markets, farm pickup, CSAs and standing orders: where small farms sell and how to get first pick.
What to ask a mushroom grower
Harvest day, substrate, foraged or farmed, storage. Good growers like these questions.
How to tell fresh mushrooms from old
Firmness, smell, color and moisture. Plus the paper-bag rule from university extension services.
How restaurants source mushrooms
Standing orders, delivery days, distributors and paperwork. Useful for chefs and for growers selling to them.
How to start growing mushrooms at home
Start with an oyster kit on the counter. Graduate to shiitake logs in the shade.