- During the pandemic, many people have turned to the home garden to grow their own food.
- One company said sales of introductory mushroom growing products increased 400% over the past year.
- Growing kits make the local farming experience more accessible while promoting sustainability.
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Interest in home gardening flourished during the pandemic. Forbes, sales in Home Depot’s indoor and outdoor garden departments grew nearly 30% year over year in 2020. That dynamic is expected to continue this year as more people build on their experiences and desire to be outdoors. Interest in houseplants has also exploded since 2019, with four-digit price tags and dedicated Instagram accounts for tropical varieties.
It is very satisfying to see something change over time. For people like me who don’t have a green thumb or access to a garden, grow kits were a way to make the home farming experience more accessible. They also help more people understand the job of making food while using materials like scrap wood that might otherwise have been sent to landfill.
For the past few weeks I’ve grown two types of oyster mushrooms on my kitchen counter using Back to the Roots kits. (The edible component is actually the fruit, and the fungus that breaks down the material is called the mycelium.) The kits come with detailed instructions, a mini spray bottle, and a prompt to post the results on Instagram for a kit for a Classroom donation. These types of purchases, and the photos on social media, have boosted sales – North Spore, a US-based seller and supplier, recently told the New York Times that sales of its importing mushroom growing needs were around 400 during the pandemic from the previous one % rose in spring.
Watching the daily growth was incredibly satisfying. It’s also an experience that has proven popular enough that mushroom kit companies have sprung up in several countries, some of which offer varieties such as lion’s mane and reishi. Even director Lulu Wang said she grew a box.
While looking for growing tips, I also learned that mushrooms are part of a growing number of sustainability initiatives. Sawmill waste and coffee grounds are used to make add-on kits. Startups are developing mycelium-based products as more environmentally friendly alternatives to building materials, plastic foam, bacon and leather. Decades of research have explored varieties that can clean up oil spills, toxic waste, and even insect infestations.
Sustainability is often about figuring out how to reduce or treat waste efficiently and inexpensively. It turns out that all along the secret was in nature, waiting for its chance to come to the surface.
