The Better Mushroom

02/28/2024

Our next cultivation workshop will be at Nitty's Cider on 3/16! We'll be joined by Bahay Kubo: Filipino Fusion Food Truck for the best fusion food in Sac! Link to tickets below 😁🍄
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/851985630957?aff=oddtdtcreator

Learn how to grow mushrooms at home - and make your own kits to take with you! May the mushrooms grow and the cider flow!

09/10/2023

So honored to supply the alongside ! Local farms coming together to showcase what the capitol has to offer!

We've been away from farmers markets this Summer, so if you're looking for local mushrooms check out Forest Floor Farming at the CFM markets nearby!

07/13/2023

We have golden oysters today at the
Stop on by and stay a while for and 😁☀️

06/16/2023

Come see us tonight at the Orangevale Farmers Market!! Mushrooms picked fresh this morning 😁🤙

06/12/2023

It's a great day at the farm 🌞🍄 our pink oysters are growing HUGE right now - I'll see you guys Thursday with a fresh harvest at the Orangevale Farmers Market!

06/09/2023

I'm so happy to see a fully stocked fruiting chamber again! See you guys Sunday at Carmichael Park, the weather will be great ☀️😁

06/06/2023

We're heading into Pink Oyster season!

Come check out this week's harvest at the Orangevale Farmers Market on Thursday, where Collin (mix master & head of moon division) will be joining 😁🛸

05/10/2023

The next mushroom cultivation workshop is at Heart Craft Studio on Saturday! To see all our events, you can check out the calendar at https://www.bigboymushrooms.com/apps/events/calendar

Hope to see you soon!

04/24/2023

Thank you to everybody that came out for our mushroom cultivation workshop yesterday! What should we do next... Chestnut mushrooms?

Join Brandon with Big Boy Mushrooms in an engaging workshop where you'll learn how to cultivate mushrooms and make your own grow kits to take home! Get hands-on experience inoculating straw with grain spawn and leave with the knowledge you'll need to incorporate fungi into your home and garden. Thes...

04/21/2023

Warmer weather means new strains! This variety of Pleurotus Pulmonarius is the Italian Oyster and has the same rich flavor as the Phoenix Oysters.

Our Spring & Summer lineup will include Pink & Golden Oysters, Chestnut, Milky White (Calocybe Indica), and we're trying to include Black Poplar, Shimeji, and Pioppino as well!

All varieties are grown naturally on straw in Fair Oaks, CA with no pesticides, herbicides, or synthetic fertilizers.

04/10/2023

Who else is loving these sunny days 🌞 See you all tomorrow at the Fair Oaks Farmers Market!

04/04/2023

We're hosting a mushroom cultivation workshop at Heart Craft Studio ! We had the pleasure of running these workshops for a few local charities and they have been SO much fun. Tickets include two Home Grow Kits valued at $25 each, be sure to grab a spot before we run out!
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mushroom-cultivation-workshop-tickets-604557486717?

01/27/2023

From spore to fruit, a brief overview of the cultivation techniques used at Big Boy Mushrooms:

1. Spore Germination - A spore print is taken from the cap of a mature mushroom, then streaked across a malt agar plate. This initial step holds contaminants from the mushroom, so the culture is isolated in the lab before being added to a liquid malt solution.
2. Grain Spawn - A syringe is used to inoculate the sterilized grains with liquid culture containing the fungus, which grows throughout in 2-4 weeks.
3. Bulk Substrate - Grain spawn is taken out of the lab and broken into hundreds of individual grains, then mixed into pasteurized straw before being bagged.
4. Colonization - Inoculated straw logs are kept in a dark, warm room for 10-14 days
5. Pinning - Once introduced to light, oxygen, and humidity, mushrooms begin to form
6. Harvest - 12 weeks after spores were first captured from a mature cap, its mushrooms are finally ready to be eaten 😋

If you want to learn more about the fungal life cycle and how to cultivate mushrooms at home, follow this page or subscribe to our email list (website link in bio) to be notified when we host a workshop!

01/21/2023

We may be sold out, but you can still head down to this weekend if you're looking for your Big Boy Mushrooms fix!

Their housemade vegan Crispy Chik'n Sandwich is unreal!! The fresh veggies, peppery arugula, and amazing house sauce all come together between two buns with delicious, extra crispy Big Boy Mushrooms - and it's absolutely incredible! I can't say enough great things about this place 🥰

01/11/2023

Trying to keep up during these storms has meant long hours... But I'm glad I have Larry to help me out ❤️

Stay safe everyone!

01/08/2023

Our new fruiting chamber is absolutely killing it! We've made a few changes around the farm and have a couple big announcements to make next week 😁

12/13/2022

King Blues are so much fun to grow, look at the color on these guys! No filter, just naturally grown mushrooms 🤙

12/07/2022

We're about to have a beautiful harvest of Phoenix Oysters and King Blues for the farm stand this Saturday 9AM-12PM! Be sure to stop by and say hi 😁

11/16/2022

Can you see the Phoenix flapping its wings in this photo? 🧐
These Phoenix Oysters have beautiful, elegant caps and a long list of health benefits that earn its namesake as a symbol of immortality.

We're operating at a limited capacity while we prepare to open the farmstand. Please text Brandon at (916) 579-3020 to reserve your order for curbside pickup 🤙

11/15/2022

Our Pink Oyster Home Grow Kits are available now with free shipping! Here's some photos from our amazing friends and customers who have joined the mycology revolution 🍄

Order online and your kit will arrive in 2-4 days!

10/18/2022

Home Grow Kits are available now! Grow 1-2lbs of delicious gourmet oyster mushrooms right in your home in as little as 10 days, reusable spray bottle and instructions are included 😁

Handmade in Fair Oaks, California. Our mushrooms are grown the old-fashioned way on straw, alfalfa, and grain - nothing else! Enjoy watching them grow in your kitchen, office, or even the garage!

09/13/2022

From feral to family! Meet our mascots, Omen and Lore, who came to us earlier this year from the Bradshaw Barn Cat Adoption Program ❤️

These sweet girls are loving the urban farm life and are two of our most important employees!

If you look close enough, you may be able to spot them hidden in our logo 😉

These amazing animals work harder and better than any chemical pest control! Plus they're super cute, so what's not to love?

08/15/2022

Preparing for the reopening! This year and into 2023, I'm growing the strains you all have loved most, Italian and Pink Oysters. Also in the lineup is the King Blue, my personal favorite, and two that everybody can try growing in their backyard - the Winecap mushroom and Huitlacoche (AKA Corn Truffle).

If anybody has corn ears starting to develop and wants to try growing Huitlacoche for free, send me a DM!

08/09/2022

Ahh, beautiful Summertime morels in Northern California ❤️

My good friend invited me along on a hunt this weekend. After finding a few small patches on our way in, a few morels started calling me over to this beautiful grove! Words can't express the joy of finding something so rare and awesome 😁

07/26/2022

Hey friends, it's been a busy Summer with some exciting changes! I'm incredibly grateful for all the amazing people who have supported my farm, but it's time for me to take a break 😅
Operating a mushroom farm from spore to fruit is an arduous process, but one that gives complete control over the quality of the mushrooms - the only thing I care about!
That being said, managing the renovation and expansion of the farm has been put to the side for too long. It's time to step things up, and BIG! It's difficult to know exactly when my new workspace and greenhouses will be finished, because there's quite a bit of fine tuning involved. Especially when growing outdoors with an ever-warming climate... Throughout the coming months, you'll still be able to find Big Boy Mushrooms in your home - you might even have fun growing them yourself 😉

06/10/2022

Shout-out to the amazing Italian Oyster! 😋

The Italian Oyster, also known as Phoenix oyster, lung oyster, and plenty of other names, is better known as pleurotus pulmonarius. This year-round variety tolerates almost any weather, but that's not why I love them so much. They taste absolutely AMAZING! These mushrooms are so rich and meaty, with tender stems that are just as delicious as the caps.

Our favorite way to eat these mushrooms is to toss them in oil & seasoning, then roast them in the oven. They're also perfect for frying and literally anything else! These are without a doubt the most versatile mushroom I've ever eaten (sorry portobellos, you ain't it 😂).

06/01/2022

Some of what's being picked today! 😁

Pink Oyster - pleurotus djamor
Italian Oyster - pleurotus pulmonarius
Chestnut Mushroom - pholiota adiposa

05/30/2022

Harvesting straw-grown Chestnut Mushrooms this Memorial Day! These are certified big boys 😁🤟 this cluster came in at 3lbs!!

The Chestnut mushroom, pholiota adiposa, is usually only grown on sawdust and soy hull. They take a bit longer to grow than oyster mushrooms, so they're not available to order yet - but a few lucky customers will get their hands on these early 😋 I'm hoping to get a greenhouse set up just for these guys in the Fall!

I just received some big new equipment and may not be posting as much this month as I set everything up. But I'm still harvesting Pink Oysters every day, so order any time if you're trying to get your hands on this tropical variety! Stay tuned for news on Golden Oysters and these Chestnut mushrooms

04/27/2022

Say hi to the Temescal Oyster Mushroom, a Big Boys Mushroom exclusive 🤟

This wild local mushroom has a firm texture with a hint of tarragon that comes through stronger in the stems. Although the stem is tougher than other oyster varieties, their extra-meaty texture holds up in soups and sauces, like marinara or gravy, where you can use the caps in the main dish 😋