Demand for organic mushrooms is growing, according to Kevin Donovan, national sales manager for Phillips Mushroom Farms in Kennett Square, PA.

Mr. Donovan noted that new customers for organic mushrooms are emerging, and most of them are in the retail sector. He said that mainstream organic retailers as well as mainstream conventional retail customers have started to push more organic products in their stores.

Phillips’ organic Maitake mushrooms. (Photo courtesy of Phillips Mushroom Farms)“We have seen a definite progression with these customers wanting to offer more organic mushrooms in their produce departments,” he said.

Mr. Donovan also pointed out that the company did not experience a reduction in organic demand throughout the economic downturn of the past few years.

“In our experience, our organic customers have done very well throughout the recent economic challenges,” he said. “And our sales indicate the same thing. We feel sure that our sales will increase as the economic conditions improve into the future.

“Organic production has also increased during this time,” he continued. “And any time greater quantities are produced means that prices will level off more. As this happens with organic versus conventional prices, it will also help to expand the organic market.

“Our organic line consists of white mushrooms, browns, such as Portabella and Baby Bella and specialty mushrooms including Shiitake, Maitake, Beech, Pom Pom and Royal Trumpet varieties,” Mr. Donovan said. “And we offer combo packs of organic specialty and brown mushrooms. These combo packs provide different textures and flavors, but they go well together and are great in many recipes.”

All of Phillips Mushrooms’ organic mushrooms are produced in the company’s facilities in Pennsylvania and in Maryland.

Phillips Mushroom Farms’ Warwick, MD, mushroom-growing facility has been up and running for three years. The company has expanded the operation there once, and is currently in the process of expanding again. Every room in the cutting-edge facility is climate-controlled by computers, and each room is harvested multiple times a day, 24 hours a day, so mushrooms are always picked at their optimum size. The new facility is Mushroom Good Agricultural Practices- and Safe Quality Foods-certified, and it is 20 percent more energy-efficient.

“The current expansion will be completed in the spring,” said Mr. Donovan. “When this expansion is complete we will have approximately 500,000 square feet of growing space.”

He said that there is correlation between locally grown and organic growth, noting that consumers who look for local product also want to know who the farmer is, where he is located and what his growing practices are.

“This is a nice evolvement because consumers can relate their food purchases to growers in their regions,” said Mr. Donovan. “Those in the East can identify with Pennsylvania, for example, and on the West Coast they can relate easily to the Salinas Valley. We offer information on our farms on our website. But retailers are also taking advantage of this opportunity to educate consumers about their food sources. Whole Foods, one retailer example, shares information about Phillips Mushroom Farms, including photos, in its produce departments.

Phillips Mushroom Farms recently finished its first year of Safe Quality Foods certification, and it continues to work toward its Produce Traceability Initiative compliance.

“We are doing well with these programs and progressing toward our commitment to these better standards,” said Mr. Donovan.