When you think of mushrooms, you might think of those slimy, store-bought creminis or fried portobellos you turned your nose up to as a kid. Mushroom growers like MyCo Planet, however, aim to introduce new varieties of mushrooms to your palette and make eating more mushrooms part of a healthier lifestyle!
Robin Moore, the founder of MyCo Planet, is a biologist by training and was drawn to growing mushrooms by her interest in nature.
“I’ve always had a love for nature and the amazing diversity and self-sustaining ecosystems that exist in this planet,” says Robin. “I decided to start growing mushrooms as a way of creating food, providing education for the children, and be closer to nature at a time when we were all spending too much online.”
MyCo Planet grows everything locally at their urban farm in North Kansas City’s Burlington corridor and offers nine different gourmet mushrooms, from Lion’s Mane to an assortment of Oyster Mushrooms.
“I have always enjoyed cooking with mushrooms but could not find the varieties I wanted to try at our local stores,” says Robin. “So I decided to grow my own. My background as a biologist made this endeavor an easy transition from the lab to the farm.”
These varieties of mushrooms have a superior flavor profile and texture than more commonly cultivated mushroom varieties. They are also very versatile. Add them to stir-fries and ramen, to pasta and noodle dishes, or even make mushroom barbecue sandwiches!
If you’re looking for innovative mushroom recipes, you might try the Edgy Veg’s vegan mushroom shawarma recipe, which is intended to be made with oyster mushrooms. MyCo Planet also has a rigatoni with mushroom sauce recipe on their website that is a must-try. If you don’t like mushrooms, there’s a good chance these dishes will change your mind.
Adding more mushrooms to your diet can be a great way to start diversifying the types of foods you eat, while also gaining the powerful nutritional benefits of fungi.
“Mushrooms, including Lion's Mane, offer numerous health benefits,” says Robin. “They are rich in antioxidants and can boost the immune system, improve cognitive function, and may help reduce inflammation and support heart health. Lion's Mane, in particular, is known for its potential to enhance nerve growth and cognitive function. The compounds in Lion's Mane are being studied for focus, memory and dementia. We make Lion's Mane tincture and Lion's Mane coffee to help people who want to incorporate more into their diet.”
MyCo Planet offers a variety of mushroom-based products for health, including powdered Lion’s Mane, mushroom-based coffees, and the previously mentioned tinctures that, according to their website, “contain a higher concentration of its bioactive compounds compared to consuming the mushroom in its whole form.”
Beyond just selling mushrooms for the kitchen, MyCo Planet also offers grow kits so you can learn to grow mushrooms at home! These self-contained kits are a great way to dip your toe in mushroom cultivation or as an edible science project to do with kids at home or even in a classroom.
Growing mushrooms at home with these kits is simple. They come in a ready-made block of substrate that is easy to care for. At 10 lbs per block, MyCo Planet’s grow kits are also larger and more affordable than most grow kits available for order online. The benefits don’t stop at harvesting mushrooms either. The spent mycelium block can be broken down and added to your garden to enrich your soil.
If you want to purchase fresh mushrooms, you can visit their in-person location at 1534 Burlington Street in North Kansas City, which is open Monday - Friday from 9 am to 4 pm. You can also catch them at Brookside Farmers Market, City Market and the Lee's Summit Market from April to October.
You can purchase grow kits and other mushroom products at MyCo Planet’s website, mycoplanetkc.com. There you’ll also find mushroom recipes, blog posts on foraging wild mushrooms, and videos on how to grow your own! Stay up to date with MyCo Planet by following them on Instagram @myco.planet and Facebook at MyCo Planet.
"Mushrooms, including Lion's Mane, offer numerous health benefits,” says Robin. “They are rich in antioxidants and can boost the immune system, improve cognitive function, and may help reduce inflammation and support heart health.
