Growing Mushrooms in Tasmania

Mushrooms don’t only play an important ecological role in Tasmania, but also an increasingly economical one as well. Throughout Tasmania, mushroom farms are popping up, providing jobs for Tasmanian locals. In Australia, there are over 160 growers of the expensive and delicate fungi, the black truffle. Truffles have been harvested in Western Australia, in Northern Tasmania, in Victoria, and Southern Australia, because of the fitting climate. Truffle production requires hot summer temperatures and cold winter temperatures: a daily temp of about 20 degrees celsius in the January (summer) and mean daily of about 5 degrees celsius in July (winter) is desirable. The soil also needs to be free draining and poor quality, which is abundant in Tasmania as well. Before Tasmanian farmers started growing truffles, truffles were only found wild in nature, usually by dogs or truffle hogs. Scientists have been trying since the 1970s to find a way of domesticating and farming the wild truffle, and they succeeded in Tasmania in the early 2000’s. Beyond truffles, mushroom farmers also grow white, honey brown, oyster and shiitake mushrooms in Tasmania. In fact, Huon Valley Mushrooms, located in Tasmania’s south, offers tours to their mushroom growing facilities! 

- Michelle

Resources:

Fungus Fever and Truffle Troubles

Mushroom Expansion Grows 30 New Jobs

Growing Truffles