Mushroom Buildings, Mushroom Meat & Mushrooms to Fight Inflation??
Fungi Friday's - Sept 30th, 2022 - Issue #50
Just when it seemed all hope had been lost for this years growing season, a mushroom appears!! And of course, it just so happens to be on our 50th publication making it even better.
What’s goin on Fungi Friday fam?
That’s right, you see that beautiful pink oyster below?! We did it! We can officially claim that we were not skunked in the 2022 growing season, and man it felt good! Now don’t get me wrong, still plenty of progress to be made. The power is still intermittent, and who know’s what other challenges await once we’re reliably growing these babies weekly. Even with that being the case, what a morale boost… if we can grow mushrooms in less than stellar conditions, just wait until we’re fully optimized and operating at scale. It’ll be glorious, and delicious! — Yes, of course we had to celebrate and cook this beauty up, and oh how tasty it was.
Enough celebrating our minor victory though, still plenty of work to be done. And you can be sure, as it happens, we here at Fungi Friday’s will be here to bring you along for the ride.
Now let’s get into the features!
Researchers Look to Fungi for the Future of Building Materials
Feature number one this week is not an article, but instead a video recently published in the Wall Street Journal, and it was actually sent in to me by one of you! — which reminds me, if any of you find interesting, fungi related content, please feel free to send it over. You can comment on Substack or connect with me on Twitter, and if you do, there’s a good chance your finding might make it’s way into a weekly feature! — This particular video draws a parallel to the rise of plastics back in the 40s and 50s, however it takes a GREEN spin, as fungi are renewable.
The science, which we’ve covered before, is fascinating. Taking waste product from wood (like mulch or sawdust) and combining chitin, from mycelium, can be used to create building blocks that are stronger and more flexible than many of the building materials commonly used today. In addition to this though, the fungi building materials are also biodegrade-able, lightweight and fire retardant. The video is only five minutes, but it’s packed with information. Check it out and let us know what you think!
Mushroom Meat Is Cheap and Yummy—Why Don’t We Eat It More?
Over the past year we’ve covered mushrooms in a whole slew of ways… from mushroom related fashion trends to mushroom drinks, supplements, and face serums, just to name a few. It’s safe to say mushrooms have been having their moment, as they seem to have captured the world's imagination like never before.
One way we have not covered much yet, however, is this highly specific way that they are now making their way to our stomachs. You see, mycelium mushroom roots can be transformed into meat like substances that could radically change the alternative meat industry and provide sustainable, healthy protein for a rapidly growing population. Given the need to create sustainable food products in a world that is becoming more and more concerned with going green, fungi-based meats might not only have unique advantages over animals, but other plant-based meats too.
That’s because a single strain of mycelium, grown the right way, can do the job of multiple plants, creating more realistic “meat” at a greater scale—and for less money too. It could also solve some of the problems that alternative meat products face today. The article goes into greater detail, but i’ll leave it there for now rather than spoil all the fun.
Mushrooms can be the answer to inflation worries
For the final feature this week, we touch back on a topic that we covered a few weeks back, as the trend seems to be catching on. Mushrooms and their positive impacts on humans from both a nutrition, and a financial well being perspective.
It’s no secret that the overwhelming theme of the financial markets worldwide through 2022 has been inflation. That’s where mushrooms come in. They’re not only affordable, but also incredibly versatile. In produce, mushroom purchases are highly correlated with red onions, tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers and peppers. In meat and seafood, consumers are buying fresh mushrooms along with chicken, beef, bacon, shrimp, salmon and more. In center store, you see mushroom consumers over index for broth/stock, canned tomatoes, spaghetti noodles and sauce, and more. In all these areas, secondary displays can prompt incremental purchases.
The idea, as pushed by the Mushroom Council, is to promote the usage of mushrooms and the benefits they may provide to the everyday consumer. After all, as the article concludes “During these times when maximizing your dollars is key, mushrooms can truly be your grocery budget’s best friend,”
Want even more? Here are some other interesting, mushroom focused reads of the week:
What happens to your brain on psychedelics? Experts explain the benefits and risks
HOW THE FUNGI BENEATH OUR FEET HELP DECIDE THE TREES OVERHEAD
Researchers Investigate Whether Psilocybin Mushrooms Can Help Combat Obesity
As always, thank you for reading this weeks edition of Fungi Friday’s! If you enjoyed what you found, please feel free to forward to friends also interested in the Fungi Community!
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