How Traditional Techniques Define Modern Mushroom Farming

In 2020, Lorian and John Roethlein founded Arizona Mushroom Co., an innovative venture that specializes in cultivating high-quality mushrooms and creating unique mushroom-based products like powders and seasonings.

As entrepreneurs who have successfully navigated the challenges of starting and scaling a specialty farm, the Roethleins offer insights into the intricacies of agricultural entrepreneurship.

This interview delves into their motivations, the operational strategies of their business, and valuable lessons for aspiring business owners in the food production industry.

Background and Inspiration

SBS – What inspired you to start the Arizona Mushroom Company?

John & Lorian – We spent 23 years doing technical recruitment in the high-tech industry and were ready for a change. Our first and foremost goal was that whatever we did, it had to be a win-win-win, meaning a win for us, a win for the customer, and a win for the community. We’ve reached the conclusion everything we do must be a win-win-win or it’s not the right thing to do. 

John asked for guidance on what would be a good use of space we had, what would be something he would like to do and be fun, and what would be a good business we could build and ultimately sell. Within 10 seconds of asking the questions, mushroom farming came to mind. After researching mushrooms, how they are farmed, how the industry works, what their medicinal features are, and much more, we decided to go for it.

Additionally, as the founders of our local Payson Farmers Market (now in its 16th year), we could see that providing mushrooms to our local communities would mesh perfectly. 

Product Development

SBS – How do you develop new mushroom products, like powders and seasonings, and ensure they maintain food-grade quality?

John & Lorian – After being with customers at farmers markets, we found that most people who “don’t like” mushrooms usually don’t like the texture of mushrooms. However, many people still wanted the nutritional and medicinal benefits of mushrooms. Hence, our powders were born.

There are also a couple of realities that led to our powder and seasoning products. Not every mushroom we grow is sold at farmers markets, and we definitely did not want to waste anything, so we needed other uses. It’s also very common for mushrooms to be used dried, and, in fact, the bulk of all mushroom consumption worldwide is in a dry form. Dried mushrooms tend to have a deeper and richer taste. Lastly, mushrooms make vitamin D in the sun, so we decided to be one of the only companies we know that sun-dried their mushrooms. 

Our powders are 100% mushroom, which we’ve sun-dried and then finished drying in a dehydrator at low temperatures. Our goal is to remain as pure food as possible and make it easy to get some amount of mushroom in one’s diet every day.

We grow our mushrooms on a substrate made of combinations of oak sawdust, organic oat hulls, and non-GMO soy hulls. Because mushrooms draw their nutrition from the substrate, it’s important to start with the cleanest materials possible.

Mushrooms are very savory as they have glutamate (the thing that makes food taste savory), so it seemed natural to make an Umami seasoning. After some trial and error, we landed on our current recipe. We really just made something we like, and it turns out, as do a lot of other people. The seasonings are a blend of Shiitake and Oyster mushrooms, Himalayan salt, black and crushed red pepper, and herbs. Umami seasoning brings a depth of savoriness to what one is cooking, rather than making food taste like some specific flavor, i.e., chili powder makes food taste like chili — Umami makes the meal “pop” with flavor.

Quality and Safety

SBS – How do you ensure the quality and safety of your mushroom powders?  

John & Lorian – This is an area we are continuing to expand. Of course, we use safe handling practices throughout the growing process. We’re not GAP-certified (Good Agricultural Practices), but we follow their guidelines regarding supply chain integrity, cleanliness, storage, and handling. 

We are also in the process of getting our mushroom powders lab-tested for shelf life, heavy metals, pesticides, herbicides, and microbes such as E. coli, Salmonella, etc.

Food Industry Challenges

SBS – What challenges have you faced in establishing and growing your business in the health food industry?

John & Lorian – Our biggest challenge is more mushrooms! The demand is high for fresh and high-quality mushroom products. We struggle to grow enough to make powders and seasonings. Going into our fifth year, we are currently increasing production by 60%, with almost all of it being Lion’s Mane so we can make powder.

Marketing Strategies

SBS – Could you share some insights into your marketing strategies and how you’ve positioned your products in the market?

John & Lorian – We are in three farmers markets throughout the year and have been for four years. We also have an online store via our website where we sell powders and seasonings. We have a strong social media presence on Instagram and Facebook and are growing our TikTok and YouTube channels. Across all the platforms, we have over 100 educational videos about mushrooms, their medicinal properties, and ways to cook them or use the powders in cooking.

To free us up to focus on farming, running the business, and going to markets, we have engaged a local marketing company to make professional videos and product photos and to run our social media side. We could do this, but time is an issue and it’s not really our specialty.

Sustainability Practices

SBS – What role does sustainability play in your business operations, especially in mushroom cultivation and processing?

John & Lorian—In these areas, mushrooms may be the perfect food/product/business. We use 100% of what we produce, from mushrooms to powders to the substrate we grow them on. The mushrooms are sold fresh. Anything we don’t sell or that isn’t big or beautiful enough to go to market is sun-dried and powdered. The 500 pounds of spent substrate a week goes to the community garden and is made into amazing compost.

As a food crop, mushrooms are incredibly efficient in regard to water use and environmental pollution. One pound of mushrooms takes around five gallons of water to grow, and as mentioned, there is no waste. Compared to other proteins, which can take 1,000+ gallons of water per pound, only about 50% of an animal’s weight is usable, and animal farming is a significant environmental polluter.  

Plant-Based Trends on Mushroom Business

SBS – How has the growing interest in plant-based and functional foods impacted your business?

John & Lorian – Mushrooms and mushroom farming are exactly in the right place and time for consumers’ interest in eating real food, and the fact they’re functional foods is becoming a bigger interest. One benefit we’ve seen since the pandemic is that people are waking up to feeding their bodies with real food and empowering themselves to do what works best for them. It’s more of a “back to basics” approach to knowing where their food comes from and being able to recognize what they are eating rather than consuming as many processed foods. Hence, our business continues to expand.

Innovative Farming Technologies

SBS – Can you discuss any innovative practices or technologies you’ve adopted in your production processes?

John & Lorian – It’s strange to say this, but the most innovative thing we do is being traditional. Everywhere we look, people are trying to figure out shortcuts and hacks, and we’re 100% “quit trying to hack everything and eat real food” so you build a rock-solid foundation. 

Mushrooms as medicine go back thousands of years. Mushroom farming, the way we do it, is about 100 years old. The current climate we’re embracing is a point in time where traditional wisdom is merging with science’s ability to explain how/why these foods work. All of our customer interactions revolve around this merging of old and new.

Advice for Entrepreneurs

SBS – What advice would you give to someone looking to start a business in the agricultural or food production sector?

John & Lorian – Find what you’re passionate about, do some research on the best approach, learn what you need to get started, don’t wait for all the starts to line up before you get going, and put your full heart into it.

Regulatory Compliance

SBS – How do you navigate regulatory requirements in the health food and supplement industry?

John & Lorian – We are 100% a food company, specifically a farm. As a small farm in Arizona, we are exempt from some of the bigger food safety regulations, but we follow all the Federal and State requirements for small-scale farming.

E-commerce Insights

SBS – Could you share your experience with e-commerce and the role it plays in your business strategy?

John & Lorian – We have been so successful selling our fresh mushrooms, cooking powders, and seasonings to customers at farmers markets that they started asking, “How to continue using them once they go home?” as many of our Scottsdale customers return to the colder states in the summer. We opened our online store in our third year, and it continues to expand year after year. Expanding our online sales is one of our major initiatives for growth.

Future Plans

SBS – What are your future plans for the Arizona Mushroom Company?

John & Lorian – As previously mentioned, we are increasing our fresh mushroom production by 60%, which is allowing us to expand into new markets. For example, we are supplying high-end tincture makers and naturopaths with the highest quality, lab-tested products, which in turn allows them to offer the highest-grade products to their clients and patients. Of course, we are continuing to grow our own online sales.

Our social media and contact information:

John & Lorian Roethlein, 520-237-6525

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.Azmushroom.com

FB: Arizona Mushroom Company

IN: AzMushroomCo

YouTube: AZMushroomCo