Mushrooms grow amid green cycle

Mushrooms are the recycler of nature, says Fung Yang, and he’s proving it as the owner of Small Kine Farm in Wai­ma­nalo.

Small Kine Farm produces mushrooms — Tutu Portabella and Keiki Portabella — starting with recycled garden waste that eventually becomes fertilizer for other plants, all done in recycled shipping containers.

This all started about seven years ago when Yang took over a recycling business in Wai­ma­nalo, handling cans, bottles and paper from residences. As statewide recycling programs became standard practice, Yang looked for other recycling revenue streams and turned to green waste recycling. After a few years of research and with some grant money, he began to turn green waste into compost media for growing mushrooms.

Green waste is composted in an old shipping container at a controlled temperature. After 10 to 15 days, the compost is moved to a second container to be pasteurized, killing off any pathogens.

This becomes the medium in which the mycelium spores are grown; in about five to six weeks, mushrooms are ready to harvest. Once the Tutu Portabellas and Keiki Portabellas are harvested, the growing medium can be used to fertilize plants and vegetables.

This process is certified organic, and the mushrooms are fresh and tasty.

You’ll find the mushrooms on the menus of locavore restaurants in Hono­lulu and at the Kapiolani Community College, Blaisdell, Hale­iwa, Ala Moana and Hawaii Kai farmers markets.

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Hawaii food writer Joan Namkoong offers a weekly tidbit on fresh seasonal products, many of them locally grown.