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Ep 60. Eric Myers on Professional Gourmet Mushroom Cultivation

Have you ever wondered what goes into operating a mushroom cultivation and equipment business?

After today’s episode, wonder no more! Eric Myers joins us to share his expertise in all things fungi!  

Owner of Myers Mushrooms in Wichita, Kansas, Eric doesn’t only sell mushrooms, he is also a specialty vendor of equipment precisely engineered for making DIY gourmet mushroom-growing easy, expedient, and effective. Additionally, Eric offers telephone consultations and 2-day hands-on mushroom cultivation classes for fungi fanatics who are aspiring to professionally grow gourmet mushrooms! Tune in to get a detailed overview of mushroom cultivation and more!

You’ll hear:

How Eric got started in mushroom farming 1:42
Why Eric sold his operation in El Paso, Texas 3:36
What a typical day in Eric’s mushroom cultivation operation looks like 5:03
About the typical shelf life for Eric’s mushrooms 5:52
About the current untapped opportunities in the mushroom market 7:36
How Eric goes about moisturizing his mushrooms 12:54
How Eric manages all the tasks involved with his cultivation 15:34
What Eric’s operating procedures look like 18:31 
The hardest thing Eric has ever done as a mushroom farmer 20:21
What goes into the spawning process 22:49
What Eric is doing differently now 28:22
Why to use shipping containers as a mushroom grower 30:08
How to make sure you’re not breathing in spores 31:19
How Eric goes about marketing 34:23
The biggest mistake new mushroom farmers make according to Eric 38:55
The drawbacks of using wood for your growing room 40:29
About the interesting farms Eric has visited during his time in the air force 41:33
About Eric’s favorite farming tool 46:49
Where to find more about Eric and Myers Mushrooms 51:34

About the guest:Eric is currently serving in the military as a vehicle mechanic in the US Air Force but loves mushroom cultivation! He started cultivating in El Paso, TX in 2015 and grew his El Paso operation to be the largest mushroom farm in the city. Since then he sold his operation and moved to Wichita, KS where he’s constructing a 2400 sq ft facility. He’s been happily married for 9 years, to his wife Joana, who handles the bag sales. They have a son, Eric Jr, who loves to help out in the lab, and a daughter, Brooke, who was born in early 2019. He’s been growing commercially for 5 years and plans to expand his knowledge and equipment as he gets closer to military retirement and can grow mushrooms full-time.Follow him here:

Website – https://www.myersmushrooms.com

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/Myersmushrooms/

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/myersmushrooms/

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