Who: This family of fungus growers at Markwood Mushrooms includes married couple Emma and Adam Beauchamp, Adam’s mother, Roni, and her husband, John Ward.
Where: Markwood, Rural City of Wangaratta, Bpangerang Country
Emma, how do you use AI and high-tech?
In nature, mushrooms just want to be left alone and grow in stable conditions. Every time humans enter the growing room, there is a change in humidity and temperature and a chance of accidentally bringing in contaminants. We use machine learning and autonomous monitors to determine carbon dioxide, light, and humidity levels. By using AI, we work out what is best for the fungus so we can limit the amount of intervention.
What mushrooms are you growing?
People love our beautiful velvety pink, gold, blue, and chocolate-hued oyster mushrooms. We also grow the very popular lion’s mane and coral tooth mushrooms. Our mushrooms are used by chefs at Brown Brothers, Chrismont in the King Valley, Kin at All Saints, and Miss Amelie in Wodonga.
How do you grow the mushrooms?
We get pelletised wood sawdust from a local furniture maker, which used to go to waste. Now we grow food in it. We sterilise the pellets, put them into plastic grow bags, and mix in spores. The grow bags go into dark and warm grow rooms until the fungus has colonised them. We simulate autumn by dropping the temperature, and the fungus starts to fruit. Our AI programs work out the best time to harvest.
Where do we get your mushrooms?
If you want to use them in your restaurant kitchen, get in contact with us via markwoodmushrooms.com.au or come and see us at the farmers’ markets we attend, such as Wangaratta, Violet Town, Mansfield, Rutherglen, Yackandandah, Albury-Wodonga, and Mount Beauty markets.