FOLBR - Friends Of the Lower Blue River

Another Climate Action Tool in our Toolbox


Could mushrooms be another tool in our toolbox to reverse the effects of climate change? According to Sherry McGann, Founder of Mystic Mountain Mushrooms in Grand County, the answer is yes! Mushrooms (many of which are edible) are full of nutrients, promote healthy soil that retains moisture while simultaneously cleaning up our environment. Mystic Mountain Mushrooms, located in Grand Lake, is a woman-owned, organic commercial mushroom producer that began in 2019. It produces USDA certified organic gourmet exotic mushrooms from spore to fruit, consciously cultivating each species.

The company is working closely with the Colorado Mycology Watershed Institute. The CMWI is on a mission to educate and organize programs with local agencies, conservation districts and state agencies to implement a range of projects throughout Colorado. They are creating a model that can be replicated worldwide to re-balance soils and watersheds. CMWI is simply stepping in to direct what has been going on for billions of years. Fungi can remove toxic compounds and harmful pollutants found in the environment. Numerous studies have shown fungi are a natural, effective, and economical way to decontaminate and restore watersheds and soils. Mushroom byproducts can also be introduced to a burnt forest to help bring it back to life by stimulating new growth.


Dr. William C. Rose, Chief Science Officer and Mycologist for Mystic Mountain Mushrooms, ensures all mushrooms produced remain at the highest quality. He is starting the mushroom from conception in a petri dish. Then as the varietal spores grow, they are fed and given the ideal environment to thrive and grow into a nutrient dense fruit. Sherry McGann, founded the operation after many years studying plant medicine. She retired from the commercial insurance industry in 2021 to devote her full time to mushrooms and their potential. Mystic Mountain Mushrooms provides a variety of top-quality edible gourmet mushrooms servicing the needs of top chefs both locally and in the Denver metro area.

Can anyone grow mushrooms in Colorado? According to Sherry the answer is yes. She says mushrooms are very adaptable to a variety of landscapes if given the right attention. So not only could you produce a food crop either for personal or commercial use on your land, but the byproducts of the mushroom growth could help keep your landscapes healthy, retain water and help prevent wildfires.

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