From Local Byproducts to Living Bounty
At Volcano Mushrooms, every harvest begins with local agricultural byproducts transformed into fertile growing medium for red reishi, lion’s mane, oyster and other mushrooms. What started as a humble experiment has become a mission: to honor the land, source locally, and cultivate in harmony with the island spirit.
Volcano Mushrooms began as a simple hobby — the final frontier in our journey of growing things after years of gardening. Mushroom cultivation fascinated us, with its need for sterile, lab-like conditions and the meticulous process of propagating mushroom cells on petri dishes.​
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Being based in Hawai‘i, we wanted to grow in the true island spirit — sourcing everything locally rather than importing our substrate. Living in Ka’u on the Big Island, surrounded by macadamia farms we decided to try cultivating mushrooms on macadamia shells. After acquiring a milling machine, we began experimenting with substrate recipes, eventually creating our signature blend of macadamia husk, coffee parchment, and a small amount of rice bran to boost yields.
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It wasn’t easy. Our journey has been full of experiments, setbacks, and breakthroughs. But we’ve stayed the course because we believe in what we’re doing — creating 100% local products grown from local substrates. This is our way of honoring the earth and contributing to the kind of world we want to live in.
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Ben & Julie