Mushrooms keep climbing in popularity with consumers

“There is a lot much more interest in mushrooms than there used to be,” says Brenda Barney of Mountain View Mushrooms in Fillmore, Utah. “I think people’s interest in healthy eating, the chefs on the cooking shows using more mushrooms and all the social media posts, seem to be driving it. The reports from the industry says creminis are currently growing the fastest.”

And around this time of year, it can be challenging for Mountain View to keep up with supplies, which in volume, are matching 2017s supply. “We are struggling with supply right now. It happens every year, because we make our compost outside and the compost made it in the hottest part of the summer just does not produce as well. We have three different crops, in different stages going at all times, so we just have to cycle the bad ones out,” she says.

Supplies overall in the country look solid she says. “I think there is about the same amount of mushrooms right now as last year, pretty much everyone’s growing at their max capacity,” says Barney. She notes that while most of the domestic mushrooms are grown in the Pennsylvania area, California also has several mushroom farms while Mountain View remains the only one in Utah.

And meeting those thinner supplies is lighter demand as well. “Interest is a little flat right now in mushrooms. It will start getting stronger as it gets cooler,” she says. “Mushrooms used to be much more popular in the winter however, we have had some good summer sales over the past few years.” “The demand has become much more constant year-round.”

Meanwhile pricing on mushrooms does not tend to fluctuate much and 2018’s pricing has looked similar to 2017’s.