John Miller
GroCycle is an innovative urban agriculture project based in the UK that grew organic mushrooms in a repurposed office building in Exeter from 2013 to 2017. The company uses organic sawdust, bran, and Oyster mushroom spawn to grow its mushrooms, which are then sold as kits for home cultivation. GroCycle also offers online courses and resources for those interested in growing their own mushrooms, touting the ease and accessibility of the process. With a focus on sustainability, GroCycle diverts over a ton of coffee grounds from landfills each month, repurposing them into organic oyster mushrooms and compost. While the company does not explicitly state that its mushrooms are organic, their practices suggest a commitment to organic and sustainable methods.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Mushroom type | Oyster |
| Mushroom farming method | Organic |
| Mushroom food | Organic matter |
| Mushroom growth time | 14 days |
| Mushroom farming location | Exeter, UK |
| Mushroom farming year | 2013–2017 |
| Mushroom kit guarantee | At least 1 crop |
| Number of harvests | 2-3 |
| Delivery time | 48 hours |
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What You'll Learn
GroCycle's Oyster Mushroom Kit
GroCycle Oyster Mushroom Kit
The GroCycle Oyster Mushroom Kit is a fun and easy way to grow your own gourmet oyster mushrooms at home. In just three simple steps, you can experience the joy of watching your mushrooms grow and harvesting your very own delicious crop.
How It Works
The process begins by mixing organic sawdust and bran with Oyster mushroom spawn and incubating it under ideal conditions. Once the kit is shipped to you, all you need to do is cut a hole in the bag and spray it with water each day. With daily care, you can witness the magic of mushrooms doubling in size each day and transforming into a bountiful crop ready for your table in just 14 days!
Benefits of Growing Mushrooms
Mushrooms are not just a delicious addition to your meals but also offer a range of health benefits. As mushrooms feed on and recycle organic matter, they produce compost that enriches the soil, trees, and plants. Additionally, certain types of mushrooms, like Reishi and Maitake, are known for their medicinal properties. By growing your own mushrooms, you can boost your health and contribute to a greener environment.
The GroCycle Promise
At GroCycle, we are passionate about making mushroom cultivation accessible to everyone. Our kits are designed to be simple and successful, guaranteeing at least one crop of Oyster mushrooms, with most kits producing 2-3 harvests. In the rare case that your kit doesn't grow, we are just an email away from offering advice or sending you a free replacement. With our easy-to-follow instructions and dedicated support, anyone can become a mushroom grower, regardless of prior experience or space constraints.
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Mushrooms: Not a Plant, Animal or Bacteria
Mushrooms are unique because they are not plants, animals, or bacteria. They are, in fact, the fleshy fruit of an underground fungus, belonging to their own separate kingdom. While scientists once considered fungi members of the plant kingdom due to their similar appearance and shared possession of cell walls, this is no longer the case. Fungi possess distinct chemical, physical, and genetic traits that set them apart.
Fungi are heterotrophic, meaning they rely on their environment for food to fuel their growth. Unlike plants, which produce food through photosynthesis, fungi absorb organic compounds from their surroundings. They do this by releasing digestive enzymes from their long, thread-like hyphae, which break down large organic molecules into smaller, simpler molecules that can be absorbed. This process allows fungi to efficiently access and absorb nutrients.
Not all fungi produce mushrooms, and the fungi kingdom includes yeasts, molds, mildews, rusts, and smuts. However, researchers estimate that over 140,000 species of wild mushrooms exist worldwide, with around 3,000 being edible. Mushrooms can be classified based on how they obtain their nutrition and what they eat. Saprotrophic mushrooms, like toadstools, feed on decaying organic matter such as wood, plants, and even dead animals, acting as crucial decomposers in the ecosystem.
GroCycle specializes in growing organic mushrooms and offers resources and courses in indoor, low-cost mushroom farming. Their Urban Mushroom Farm in Exeter, UK, transformed waste coffee grounds into organic oyster mushrooms and compost, diverting over a ton of coffee grounds from landfills each month. GroCycle's mission is to make mushroom farming accessible to everyone, regardless of space or experience, and they offer easy-to-use grow kits and educational resources to help anyone interested in growing their own mushrooms.
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Fungi Absorb Organic Compounds
Mushrooms are unique because, although they may look similar to plants, they are not plants, animals, or bacteria. They belong to a separate kingdom of their own. They are the fleshy fruit of an underground fungus. Fungi differ from plants in how they obtain nutrition. While plants make their food using photosynthesis, fungi absorb organic compounds from their environment.
Fungi are heterotrophic, meaning they rely on their environment for food to get the energy to grow. Fungi do not have stomachs, so they must digest their food externally before absorbing nutrients through the cell walls of the hyphae. The long, thread-like hyphae that make up mycelium release digestive enzymes into the dead or living organic matter around them. These enzymes break down large organic molecules into smaller, simple molecules that the hyphae can absorb. The large surface area of hyphae makes them well-suited for efficient nutrient absorption. Under the right conditions, they grow rapidly to access more nutrition.
Different types of mushrooms feed differently and use specific organic materials or food sources to get their nutrients. Saprotrophic mushrooms and toadstools, for example, thrive on decaying organic matter like wood, plants, and even sometimes dead animals. They are decomposers that play a crucial role in the ecosystem by breaking down dead organic matter and recycling it into compost that benefits the soil, trees, and plants. Many of the most popular culinary and medicinal mushrooms are saprotrophs, including morels, reishi, shiitake, cremini, oyster, and maitake.
GroCycle's Urban Mushroom Farm in Exeter, UK, grows organic mushrooms using waste coffee grounds as the substrate to grow organic oyster mushrooms and rich compost. Their mushroom kits start the process by mixing organic sawdust and bran with oyster mushroom spawn, incubating it under ideal conditions, and then shipping it out.
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Saprotrophic Mushrooms: Decomposing Organic Matter
Saprotrophic mushrooms are the fruiting bodies of fungi that feed on dead and decaying organic matter. The word "saprotrophic" comes from the Greek "sapros", meaning rotten or putrid, and "trophe", meaning nourishment or food. Saprotrophic fungi facilitate the decomposition of organic matter and play a vital role in natural ecosystems. They are the largest group of fungi and are essential to soil microbial communities due to their wide array of metabolic processes and biotransformations.
Saprotrophic fungi obtain their nutrients from a wide range of dead and decaying organic matter. They digest matter externally, using a process called absorptive nutrition. To do this, they release enzymes into the nonliving organic matter around them. These enzymes break down organic compounds into smaller, simpler molecules that the fungi can then absorb. Saprotrophic fungi can be broadly categorised as wood decay fungi or litter decomposers. However, within these categories, there are variations, and different species feed on specific organic materials at different stages of decomposition.
Leaf litter, for example, is usually made up of a mixture of plant matter and provides a rich source of cellulose and other nutritious materials. Wine cap mushrooms are litter decomposers that thrive in leaf litter with bits of decomposing wood. They are not difficult to cultivate and can be grown outdoors in a mushroom bed.
Saprotrophic fungi play a crucial role in ecosystem nutrient cycles. They convert complex organic materials into simple compounds that plants and other organisms can easily absorb. Without them, falling trees would create piles of wood that would not decompose and replenish the soil with nutrients for future generations of plants. In addition to improving soil health and plant growth, saprotrophic fungi also support wildlife. They produce aromas, known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which help draw wildlife to the area. The breakdown of dead wood and leaf litter creates soft, damp habitats and breeding sites for species such as springtails, beetles, and worms, which then continue the breakdown process. The fungal fruiting bodies themselves provide food and shelter for many animals.
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GroCycle's Urban Mushroom Farm
GroCycle Urban Mushroom Farm is an innovative urban agriculture project based in Exeter, UK. The farm was located in a repurposed office building in the city centre, operating from 2013 to 2017. GroCycle has since moved to a rural location near Totnes in Devon, where they continue to grow mushrooms for local sale, make mushroom kits, and teach mushroom-growing courses.
The unique initiative focused on growing organic mushrooms using waste coffee grounds collected from local cafes. Each week, hundreds of kilos of coffee grounds were used as a substrate to cultivate delicious and organic Oyster mushrooms. The process not only produced a rich crop of mushrooms but also resulted in the creation of beneficial compost.
GroCycle's mushroom-growing process is designed to be accessible and straightforward. Their mushroom kits are easy to use and guaranteed to grow, requiring just three simple steps: cutting a hole in the bag, spraying with water each day, and watching the mushrooms flourish. The kits utilise a mix of organic sawdust and bran with Oyster mushroom spawn, incubated under ideal conditions before being shipped out.
In addition to their kits, GroCycle offers valuable resources and courses in indoor, low-cost mushroom farming. This knowledge empowers individuals to engage in small-scale urban agriculture without the need for prior agricultural experience or access to land. GroCycle's mission is to share their expertise, accumulated over more than a decade, making mushroom cultivation achievable for anyone, regardless of space or equipment constraints. Whether a hobby, side-line income, or full-time business, GroCycle provides the tools and guidance necessary to succeed.
With their Urban Mushroom Farm, GroCycle demonstrated the potential of urban agriculture and the ability to produce organic, delicious mushrooms right in the heart of a city. By diverting waste coffee grounds from landfills, they created a sustainable and eco-friendly approach to food production, contributing to a greener and more resilient local food system.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, GroCycle mushrooms are organic. The GroCycle Urban Mushroom Farm in Exeter, UK, grows organic mushrooms in a repurposed office building. They use waste coffee grounds from city cafes as a substrate to grow Oyster mushrooms.
The GroCycle Mushroom Grow Kit makes it easy to grow your own gourmet Oyster mushrooms at home. Cut a hole in the bag, spray with water each day, and watch them grow.
GroCycle mushrooms are ready to harvest in just 14 days. The baby mushrooms double in size each day and are ready to be cooked up and enjoyed.
GroCycle mushrooms are a good source of functional mushroom extracts that can boost your health. Mushrooms are a unique type of organism that is neither a plant nor an animal. They are the fleshy fruit of an underground fungus.
