This week we had the privilege of speaking with Matt Fry of Fry Farm in Bethlehem, Georgia about their expertise with growing mushrooms using the totem method.
This week we had the privilege of speaking with Matt Fry of Fry Farm in Bethlehem, Georgia about their expertise with growing mushrooms using the pillar (previously known as totem) method.
Fry Farm in Bethlehem, Georgia
Nate: Hi there! What is your name, and can you tell us a little about Fry Farm?
Matt: Hey! I'm Matt Fry. Fry Farm is owned and operated by my parents - Steve and Vicky - and myself. We have five official employees but several other family members - daughter, nieces, nephews, and aunt all lend a hand on the farm!
Nate: Where are you guys located, and what type of climate is it? Anything your region is known for?
Matt: Our farm is located in Bethlehem, Georgia which is in the Piedmont region. This area is known for its red clay (acidic) soil - freshly broken ground resembles the surface of Mars! We have well-defined seasons. Summers are HOT and humid and winters are cool but mild, allowing us to grow mushrooms year-round.
Nate: I actually lived in Athens, Georgia for a year back in 2010 and I can vividly remember the red soil - especially glowing bright during sunsets! It's a very beautiful area. So as farmers, how did you come to work with fungi? What was your seed of inspiration?
The Fry Family
Nate: Hi there! What is your name, and can you tell us a little about Fry Farm?
Matt: Hey! I'm Matt Fry. Fry Farm is owned and operated by my parents - Steve and Vicky - and myself. We have five official employees but several other family members - daughter, nieces, nephews, and aunt all lend a hand on the farm!
Nate: Where are you guys located, and what type of climate is it? Anything your region is known for?
Matt: Our farm is located in Bethlehem, Georgia which is in the Piedmont region. This area is known for its red clay (acidic) soil - freshly broken ground resembles the surface of Mars! We have well-defined seasons. Summers are HOT and humid and winters are cool but mild, allowing us to grow mushrooms year-round.
Nate: I actually lived in Athens, Georgia for a year back in 2010 and I can vividly remember the red soil - especially glowing bright during sunsets! It's a very beautiful area. So as farmers, how did you come to work with fungi? What was your seed of inspiration?
The Fry Family
Matt: We began growing mushrooms simply because of our deep love for them and are amazed at, not only the amazing flavors, but the health benefits they provide. Fungi are some of Earth's most amazing organisms, in our opinion.
Nate: That they are! I know everyone at North Spore would agree with that sentiment. There are many different approaches to integrating mushrooms into an agricultural landscape. What’s your style?
Matt: Our property is very diverse and there's a large section of hardwood forest. We chose to take advantage of this shady, moist area and use it for mushroom production. This also gives us a source of wood for mushroom medium. We use certain trees that are "undesirable" (meaning not useful for wildlife or surrounding ecosystem) and grow fungi using the pillar method.
Nate: Well that sounds convenient! Any particular reasons why you choose to start with the pillar method?
Matt: We chose to use the pillar method because, after experimenting with other methods, it turned out to be the least time-consuming. This was important since we grow a wide variety of other crops on the farm. Also, having a source for larger trees such as Sweetgum and Water Oak helped make this decision!
Nate: Sounds like you have a lot of resources at your fingertips for mushroom growing. What does your setup look like, and how does it weave into your farm?
Matt: Each season, we find a nice flat area in the hardwood forest and stack our pillars. We make sure the site is in a moist area with lots of shade and protection. We wanted to keep the forest intact and this allowed us to generate revenue in areas that otherwise wouldn't support a crop.
Nate: Mushrooms are perfect for underused parts of yards and gardens. So what sort of challenges, if any, do you encounter with your growing operation?
Oyster mushroom pillars.
Matt: We chose to use the totem method because, after experimenting with other methods, it turned out to be the least time-consuming. This was important since we grow a wide variety of other crops on the farm. Also, having a source for larger trees such as Sweetgum and Water Oak helped make this decision!
Nate: Sounds like you have a lot of resources at your fingertips for mushroom growing. What does your setup look like, and how does it weave into your farm?
Matt: Each season, we find a nice flat area in the hardwood forest and stack our totems. We make sure the site is in a moist area with lots of shade and protection. We wanted to keep the forest intact and this allowed us to generate revenue in areas that otherwise wouldn't support a crop.
Nate: Mushrooms are perfect for growing in underused parts of yards and gardens. So what sort of challenges, if any, do you encounter with your growing operation?
Oyster mushroom totems.
Matt: We chose to use the totem method because, after experimenting with other methods, it turned out to be the least time-consuming. This was important since we grow a wide variety of other crops on the farm. Also, having a source for larger trees such as Sweetgum and Water Oak helped make this decision!
Nate: Sounds like you have a lot of resources at your fingertips for mushroom growing. What does your setup look like, and how does it weave into your farm?
Matt: Each season, we find a nice flat area in the hardwood forest and stack our totems. We make sure the site is in a moist area with lots of shade and protection. We wanted to keep the forest intact and this allowed us to generate revenue in areas that otherwise wouldn't support a crop.
Nate: Mushrooms are perfect for growing in underused parts of yards and gardens. So what sort of challenges, if any, do you encounter with your growing operation?
Matt: We chose to use the pillar method because, after experimenting with other methods, it turned out to be the least time-consuming. This was important since we grow a wide variety of other crops on the farm. Also, having a source for larger trees such as Sweetgum and Water Oak helped make this decision!
Nate: Sounds like you have a lot of resources at your fingertips for mushroom growing. What does your setup look like, and how does it weave into your farm?
Matt: Each season, we find a nice flat area in the hardwood forest and stack our pillars. We make sure the site is in a moist area with lots of shade and protection. We wanted to keep the forest intact and this allowed us to generate revenue in areas that otherwise wouldn't support a crop.
Nate: Mushrooms are perfect for underused parts of yards and gardens. So what sort of challenges, if any, do you encounter with your growing operation?
Matt: Because we grow outdoors, our biggest challenge is the weather. We often go through periods of drought or too much rain which both ends of the spectrum greatly reduce our flush frequency. Aside from that, animal predation - mainly squirrels and fungus beetles are a big problem!
Nate: I know a lot of folks struggle with other creatures getting to their logs - do you have any tips or tricks besides harvesting as soon as the mushrooms are ready?
Oyster mushroom pillars
Matt: Because we don't use chemicals, the only defense we have against squirrels, beetles and other types of pests is creating a barrier. We use lightweight agribon fabric - the same type used for frost and insect protection on our veggies crops. It's draped over the logs and the sides weighted down with sandbags. It works well but quick harvest is still required.
Nate: Walk us through a typical growing season, from inoculation through harvest. What do your timelines look like?
Matt: In January, when the farm has slowed down, we select trees in our forest that are undesirable to wildlife and/or create competition for our larger mast-producing trees. These are mostly Sweetgum, Water Oak, and Poplar. When selecting the wood for totems, we only use sections of the tree that are at least 10 inches in diameter. We fell the trees, cut them in 3 ft. sections with a chain saw. After we select our growing site, we cut each 3 ft. log into 4 equal sections, place mushroom sawdust spawn between each section as we stack them up back in the original position. We then cover them with a reusable black plastic bag. After 90 days, we remove the bags. The mycelium has become well established and has "glued" the log sections together. Depending on the mushroom species and the weather, on average it takes about 4-6 months to see a mushroom flush. During this time, we keep an eye on the totems and protect them from pests such as squirrels and/or fungus beetles as needed. Voila!
Matt: Because we don't use chemicals, the only defense we have against squirrels, beetles and other types of pests is creating a barrier. We use lightweight agribon fabric - the same type used for frost and insect protection on our veggies crops. It's draped over the logs and the sides weighted down with sandbags. It works well but quick harvest is still required.
Nate: Walk us through a typical growing season, from inoculation through harvest. What do your timelines look like?
Matt: In January, when the farm has slowed down, we select trees in our forest that are undesirable to wildlife and/or create competition for our larger mast-producing trees. These are mostly Sweetgum, Water Oak, and Poplar. When selecting the wood for pillars, we only use sections of the tree that are at least 10 inches in diameter. We fell the trees, cut them in 3 ft. sections with a chain saw. After we select our growing site, we cut each 3 ft. log into 4 equal sections, place mushroom sawdust spawn between each section as we stack them up back in the original position. We then cover them with a reusable black plastic bag. After 90 days, we remove the bags. The mycelium has become well established and has "glued" the log sections together. Depending on the mushroom species and the weather, on average it takes about 4-6 months to see a mushroom flush. During this time, we keep an eye on the pillars and protect them from pests such as squirrels and/or fungus beetles as needed. Voila!
Oyster mushroom pillars
Matt: Because we don't use chemicals, the only defense we have against squirrels, beetles and other types of pests is creating a barrier. We use lightweight agribon fabric - the same type used for frost and insect protection on our veggies crops. It's draped over the logs and the sides weighted down with sandbags. It works well but quick harvest is still required.
Nate: Walk us through a typical growing season, from inoculation through harvest. What do your timelines look like?
Matt: In January, when the farm has slowed down, we select trees in our forest that are undesirable to wildlife and/or create competition for our larger mast-producing trees. These are mostly Sweetgum, Water Oak, and Poplar. When selecting the wood for totems, we only use sections of the tree that are at least 10 inches in diameter. We fell the trees, cut them in 3 ft. sections with a chain saw. After we select our growing site, we cut each 3 ft. log into 4 equal sections, place mushroom sawdust spawn between each section as we stack them up back in the original position. We then cover them with a reusable black plastic bag. After 90 days, we remove the bags. The mycelium has become well established and has "glued" the log sections together. Depending on the mushroom species and the weather, on average it takes about 4-6 months to see a mushroom flush. During this time, we keep an eye on the totems and protect them from pests such as squirrels and/or fungus beetles as needed. Voila!
Matt: In January, when the farm has slowed down, we select trees in our forest that are undesirable to wildlife and/or create competition for our larger mast-producing trees. These are mostly Sweetgum, Water Oak, and Poplar. When selecting the wood for pillars, we only use sections of the tree that are at least 10 inches in diameter. We fell the trees, cut them in 3 ft. sections with a chain saw. After we select our growing site, we cut each 3 ft. log into 4 equal sections, place mushroom sawdust spawn between each section as we stack them up back in the original position. We then cover them with a reusable black plastic bag. After 90 days, we remove the bags. The mycelium has become well established and has "glued" the log sections together. Depending on the mushroom species and the weather, on average it takes about 4-6 months to see a mushroom flush. During this time, we keep an eye on the pillars and protect them from pests such as squirrels and/or fungus beetles as needed. Voila!
Logs being cut for pillars
Pillars covered with plastic bags for incubation during colonization
Fruiting shiitake pillars
Nate: You guys are pillar experts at this point! What’s your market for mushrooms, and how do you sell them? Have you noticed any shifts in demand since you started?
Matt: We sell our mushrooms at the three Atlanta-area Farmers Markets that we attend. We also sell them to local restaurants in our area. The demand for fungi has remained shockingly high since we began but we've definitely noticed an increase in awareness and acceptance of mushroom consumption. In the beginning, many folks were skeptical of buying mushrooms from anyone other than a grocery store. Now, people don't hesitate!
Nate: People are definitely warming up to different kinds of mushrooms. How has fungi production impacted your farm? Any new risks, value, or surprises that come with diversifying into fungi?
Matt: It has allowed us to have another stream of revenue here on the farm and also gets our customers excited to see them at the market! It's been a great addition to our lineup. Aside from that, we love to have our own source of fungi for our own consumption!
Nate: What lessons have you learned along the way?
Matt: Learning which particular types of trees/wood that work well with certain mushroom strains or species has been a valuable lesson. Also, the mushrooms flush in different ways depending on the type of wood you use. We've found that yellow/tulip Poplar works well for lion's mane. Sweetgum seems to work great for oysters. When using Sweetgum you'll get a large, beautiful flush but usually the wood will be spent and you won't get repeat flushes. We've found that Red Oaks (including Water Oak, Northern/Southern Red Oak) are best for shiitake and you can expect continuous harvests for a year or more.
We also have learned that the mushrooms must be protected once they flush - other animals love to eat fungi as much as we do!
Lion's mane fruiting from a pillar
Lion's mane fruiting from a pillar
Nate: This is some valuable insight and we're happy to have you sharing it with us! If you could grow mushrooms any way or start an experiment (and resources were no object), what would you like to try out? Anything new for Fry Farm this year?
Matt: If budget was no concern, we would love to build a large climate-controlled mushroom grow house which would massively increase our yields and efficiency. We would also like to experiment with lots of different strains.
Nate: How do you like to prepare or preserve your harvests?
Matt: We cut our mushrooms with a clean, sterile knife, brush them off with a dedicated shroom brush, package then in eco-friendly paper containers and put in cold storage. We ALWAYS sell our mushrooms fresh - within 5 days of harvest.
Nate: Any wisdom you’d like to share with folks who are curious about growing, especially farmers who might be curious about adding mushrooms to their operations?
Matt: The only wisdom I'd like to pass on is to not overthink. If you want to grow mushrooms - just do it! There are so many ways to grow and you can get overwhelmed. Doing is the best way to learn. Watch a video, talk to a grower, grab some spawn and just try it!
Nate: This is some valuable insight and we're happy to have you sharing it with us! If you could grow mushrooms any way or start an experiment (and resources were no object), what would you like to try out? Anything new for Fry Farm this year?
Matt: If budget was no concern, we would love to build a large climate-controlled mushroom grow house which would massively increase our yields and efficiency. We would also like to experiment with lots of different strains.
Nate: How do you like to prepare or preserve your harvests?
Matt: We cut our mushrooms with a clean, sterile knife, brush them off with a dedicated shroom brush, package then in eco-friendly paper containers and put in cold storage. We ALWAYS sell our mushrooms fresh - within 5 days of harvest.
Nate: Any wisdom you’d like to share with folks who are curious about growing, especially farmers who might be curious about adding mushrooms to their operations?
Matt: The only wisdom I'd like to pass on is to not overthink. If you want to grow mushrooms - just do it! There are so many ways to grow and you can get overwhelmed. Doing is the best way to learn. Watch a video, talk to a grower, grab some spawn and just try it!
Lion's mane fruiting from a pillars
Nate: That's right - growing mushrooms can feel overwhelming because there are so many options but it's so easy to get started with a Spray and Grow Kit or a bag of oyster spawn. We know it’s hard to choose, but do you have a favorite mushroom and why?
Matt: My favorite shroom to eat is (and probably always will be) lion's mane. However, taking into account the taste, texture, ease of production, and yield, shiitake is the winner!
Nate: Both delicious favorites. Last question: symbolically speaking, which mushroom would you be and why?
Matt: Morel! Because they are so unique and nearly impossible to replicate in a commercial agriculture setting and live deep in the woods - my favorite place.
Nate: Unique, special, and well-loved! Thanks for taking the time to speak with us, I know y'all are very busy.
Matt: Thank you!
Learn more about incorporating mushrooms into your garden here.