About Forest Mushrooms, Inc.

Established in 1985, Forest Mushrooms, Inc. is a Minnesota company engaged in the research, cultivation and distribution of edible (cultivated fresh, harvested wild and dried) specialty mushrooms. We particularly specialize in the production of Oyster (Pleurotus) mushrooms, and more recently, in growing Shiitake (Lentinus) mushrooms.  

Our production facilities are located in St. Joseph, MN, 90 miles Northwest of Minneapolis. From here we distribute our mushroom products to wholesalers, supermarkets, restaurants and specialty shops. The majority of our products are delivered to the Twin Cities area, but we also distribute locally and nationally.

This is a view of our facilities including the straw barn where we keep the substrate. After testing various straws (bean, oat, wheat, etc.) to find what works the best for our growing needs we purchase enough to sustain us through the year.

To the left, shiitake mushrooms are grown from composite molded logs made partly of wood chips and sawdust, along with millet, bran and farmers "seed" or mushroom spawn. The pictures to the right show our Oyster mushrooms growing.

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We utilize this mixer to pasteurize large batches of straw, from which Oyster mushrooms are grown.

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Here we follow the growth of an oyster mushroom cluster so you can see how rapidly they grow. Mushroom spawn - or seed - which is distributed throughout the straw during the mixing process grows towards and then through 1/4 inch holes spaced evenly every 4 inches on each of the bags. Three batches of approximately 1800 lbs of straw are prepared each week and fruit four large flushes or picks. These pictures follow one oyster cluster approximately every 24 hours, the mushroom cluster in the last picture was picked the next morning.

We have our own packaging area within the facility, utilize two coolers and deliver three days a week to the twin cites metro area by way of our refrigerated truck.