Tim and Darcy Maude operate Moonshine Farm Organic Mushrooms on a 100 acre farm in Tyendinaga. They grow certified organic oyster mushrooms and other certified organic crops that support the mushroom operation.  A 150 year old barn on their farm houses the three heated growing rooms. 

Oyster mushrooms do not taste like oysters but rather get their name from their resemblance to the shape of a shellfish.  Fresh Oyster Mushrooms have a delicate, deliciously unique flavour that compliments many meat and vegetable dishes. Culinary experts the world over call oyster mushrooms a delicacy. 

Moonshine Farm Organic Mushrooms Products

One important channel for selling fresh oyster mushrooms is fine dining establishments in Prince Edward County, Kingston and Belleville. Occasionally, when surplus exists, we sell at the Belleville Farmer's Market.

We also offer dried oyster mushrooms that when reconstituted make a flavourful addition to many recipes. They are indistinguishable in taste from the fresh ones but have a shelf life of two years on the shelf or the life of the freezer if frozen.

A third offering is Mushroom powder; essentially dried mushrooms ground into a flour for adding to soups and stocks.

A new product for the farm is Oyster Mushroom Duxelles (pronounced dook sellah). Duxelles are used for canapés (hors d'oeuvres, appetizers), stuffings and condiments. This product line is comprised of several recipes (Thyme & Green Onion, Balsamic & Garlic, Sesame & Ginger). The marinades are pressure "canned" to assure quality and food safety.  Duxelles were invented by a French chef in 17th century. A famous example of a stuffing using Duxelles is the recipe Beef Wellington.

Oyster Mushrooms are good for you

Oyster mushrooms have been revered for thousands of years as both a food and a medicine in both Eastern and mid-European cultures. They are rich in protein, vitamin C, Niacin, Folic acid and potassium. For people with hypertension, obesity and diabetes, oyster mushroom can form part of a diet that is low in sodium, starch, fat and calories. Oyster mushrooms help reduce the cholesterol level.

Oyster mushrooms are used in traditional medicine to treat infections, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, and cancer.  Studies have shown that the Oyster mushroom has anti tumor, anti fungal, lipid lowering, hypoglycemic properties and is known to help regulate the immune system.

Growing Oyster Mushrooms

Tim and Darcy grow the mushrooms on columns of pasteurized organic wheat straw supplemented with various higher nutrient additives.  Mushroom spores are added to the substrate and then the columns are kept in the dark for approximately one month. Once the mycelium has "run" throughout the column, "pinning" occurs. This is the stage when the mushrooms are seeking humidity and light.  The columns are carefully moved to the grow rooms at this stage.  Humidity, temperature, light, and pests are carefully monitored and controlled in the grow rooms.

No pesticides of any kind are used anywhere in the process. Washing the mushrooms is unnecessary since no manure or pesticides are used.

Certified Organic

Our Oyster Mushrooms are certified organic by Pro-Cert, under Canada's organic standard as well as that of the USA and Europe.