I Have Become Myco-Culture Man

by Farhad Tyabji, Seattle, WA, 1 April 2026

I have become Myco-Culture Man, I'm Now employed part-time with Sno-Valley Mushroom farm - working twice per week on the farm an hour NE of Seattle - and 1 weekend day at farmers market.

Fruiting Blue Oysters.  The website: https://www.snovalleymushrooms.com.  

As of January 2026 the farm scratch-cultivates 2500-4000lbs a week of Shiitake, Lions Mane, Blue Oyster, Queen Oyster, Cinnamon Cap, and Coral Tooth mushrooms using locally sourced sawdust and grain/seed milling byproducts, and using in-house spawn grown on Washington grain.

These are substrate logs (composed primarily of sawdust in a bag) inoculated with Shitake spores

Entering the shitake hoop-house

The sno-valley mushroom farm team

Growing the blue oyster mushroom, botanically known as Pleurotus ostreatus var. columbinus, prized for its unique blue-gray hue, mild flavor, and meaty texture. It is one of the most cultivated mushrooms globally due to its aggressive, fast-growing nature and ability to withstand colder cultivation temperatures. These mushrooms are versatile in the kitchen and offer various health benefits, including being a good source of vitamins and minerals.

 Growing Coral tooth fungus (Hericium coralloides)

Close up of Lion's Mane (Hericium erinaceus) fruiting fungus

Today - a beautiful Easter Sunday in Seattle - i returned to working at the ballard farmers market ! For sno-valley mushrooms ! It was awesome fun.  I love how organized and focused on a quality local product the 2 owner-operators are.  
Their Mission is simple: “To provide high quality mushrooms for the Fungus-Hungry denizens of King County” 99% of our fresh mushrooms within 40 miles of our farm, serving Seattle and the Greater Eastside—Now that’s LOCAL!