Oyster and shiitake, grown slow in the dark.
Understory is a small mushroom farm in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. We grow fresh oyster and shiitake for restaurant kitchens, sell grow-your-own kits, and open the grow rooms for tours.
Understory is a small mushroom farm in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. We grow fresh oyster and shiitake for restaurant kitchens, sell grow-your-own kits, and open the grow rooms for tours.
The practice
The mushrooms do the growing. Our job is holding the conditions steady: blocks made in small batches, a long quiet stretch while the mycelium runs through them, then cooler rooms where the pins set and the mushrooms take shape.
Hardwood sawdust and straw, packed into blocks in small batches so nothing sits around waiting.
The blocks rest in the dark while the mycelium runs. This is the long part, and we leave it alone.
Blocks move into cooler rooms with moving air. Pins set, then the fruit bodies take shape over a few days.
Cut by hand, cooled, and out the door to kitchens and market tables.
“The useful part of the farm is the layer nobody photographs.”
What we grow
Oysters come off the block in clusters, with a soft texture and a mild, woodsy flavor. They take on whatever fat they meet, and they reward a hot pan and a quick hand.
Shiitake grow slower and come off firmer, with a deeper, savory flavor that holds its shape in a braise, a broth or a roast. Keep the stems back for stock.
Chef accounts
A chef account starts with a conversation: which mushrooms you use, the case size you want, and the day you need them. We will confirm what the rooms can supply and keep it standing week to week.
Visit
01
Walk the grow rooms with us and follow a block from colonization through to flush. Tours are arranged ahead of time.
02
Find us at the market with baskets of whatever came off the blocks that week, plus kits to take home.
03
A colonized block and short instructions. Set it on a counter, keep it damp, and fruit mushrooms at home.