Hamakua Mushrooms
Here’s how Hamakua Mushrooms describes their farm:
“Our Mushroom Facility is a state-of-the-art, environmentally controlled, 16,000 sq. ft. production facility newly locate in Laupahoehoe on the Big Island of Hawaii. Our facility is equipped with automated specialty mushroom cultivation equipment, our own sterile tissue culture laboratory and six indoor growing rooms; making it possible for us to produce a variety of species. We pride ourselves in producing mushrooms of exceptional quality.”
This farm is operated by Janis and Bob Stanga, here’s a bit about them:
“Bob and Janice have had their hands in a variety of careers and substrate on the road to becoming successful mushroom farmers in Hamakua.
Overcoming obstacles that would have stopped many, they persevered to create Hamakua Mushrooms, which are now found in supermarkets and stores around the state, on the tables of the most discerning Hawaiian restaurants, and even at a White House dinner.
Janice Stanga spent 27 years as an interior designer and her husband, Bob, was a helicopter pilot on Oahu before they decided to switch careers and start growing mushrooms. Why mushrooms? Because they wanted to create gourmet items no one else was growing. By 2003, they had built a 16,000-square-foot facility that today produces nearly 4,000 pounds of mushrooms a week, employing 20 people from the Laupahoehoe area.”
They are the largest producers of mushrooms in the state. They grow: Gray Oyster, Pepeiao, Pioppini, Alii.
Their mushrooms are being served by a variety of restaurants and can be found at retailers. An up to date listing can be found on their website.