What is Mycogreens?
The name Mycogreens (Myco = fungi) was born from the idea that fungi and plants should be grown together within the same soil, just like nature does it. The story behind the name goes hand in hand with my quest for purpose and prosperity.
Mycogreens is a microgreen farm based in Half Moon Bay, CA, owned and operated by Paul Flores, a farmer, forager and mycologist. This page is dedicated to the story of how he built this business, in his own words.
Sowing Stage
During the summer of 2019, while working as a commercial electrician for my brother’s company, I was reintroduced to a friend from high school that was looking for someone to help him start a mushroom farm. I had recently built a cleanroom in my parents basement to teach myself mycology, through cultivation, in my off-time and I was just starting to get the hang of it. My friend’s business partners were also passionate about fungi and after a few conversations they offered me the position as head cultivator at their farm in Oakland, focused on growing edible and medicinal mushrooms. Having been born and raised in Monterey my whole life, the opportunity to move for the purpose of mushroom cultivation, gave me a chance to spreading my wings and fly. I couldn’t pass.
To make a long story short, things did not go as planned. After moving to Oakland and a solid year of intense cultivation efforts, my then partners decided to change the terms of our deal. At that point I was physically and mentally exhausted, financially broke and ready to move on from the toxic relationship. I had learned my lesson. Once more, I was ready to make a change.
After a few months of working as a barback at a restaurant off of Fillmore St. in San Francisco, I met my now wife, Katya. From then on, everything had changed for me. Her support helped get my life on track, so to speak, and we moved in together a few months later. Soon after, in late 2021, I applied for a warehouse job at Far West Fungi and became their cooler inventory manager at their distribution facility in South San Francisco. I spent the next 2+ years holding that position. Throughout that time, I learned a lot about business and even more about cultivation to the point where I was building enough confidence to start my own business. I thought to myself, was I going to start another mushroom company? Or was there something different that I could do?
Germination Stage
There was a particular day, during a walk with Katya in Golden Gate Park, when I made an observation. I saw that mushrooms were growing from a portion of the grass that had been recently mowed. I asked myself, could this be replicated? What kind of crop could I grow, where after harvest, mushrooms can utilize the spent substrate as a food source and then fruit from it?
Around that time Katya had been asking me to grow microgreens for her in our studio apartment. We didn’t have garden access at the time, so she figured indoor grown microgreens were the next best thing. A couple days after making this observation and while considering her requests, the idea came to me. I could inoculate soil with winecap mushroom spawn, grow the microgreens in it, harvest them when ready and then initiate the mushrooms to fruit! After about a year of research through trial and error I had developed a procedure that worked! Mycogreens was born!
This type of production required me to hold onto the spent microgreen tray until the fungi would fruit. During this time I started growing for restaurants and I ended up choosing to grow the microgreens in biodegradable trays to avoid using plastic. I realized then that my customers were not going to take care of this live-tray for weeks, only to get a couple mushrooms from it. It no longer made sense to inoculate the soil.
That’s not to say that the idea to grow mushrooms with microgreens didn’t work, or that it wouldn’t be worth it for growers that are already at scale. It simply no longer benefit my new production model, so I stopped the practice of cultivating mushrooms with microgreens, for now. I hope to someday continue the effort in farmable fields with full grown companion plantings of various vegetables and flowers. When the time is right and I have farmable land at my disposal, I’ll get back to it i told myself. Until then, the name Mycogreens will have to serve as a reminder for the agricultural potential of growing fungi and plants together within the same soil, just like nature does it.
What sets us apart
Most microgreen producers grow their produce using plastic trays or troughs with soil-based or soilless, hydroponic set ups. While both of these methods can be highly water efficient, the hydroponic greens tend to lack flavor and have a shorter shelf life when compared to soil based systems. Both of these production models require the grower to harvest and package the greens into plastic clamshells in order to deliver them to the final customer.
To me, these methods of production are not sustainable. Despite their efficiency, they still contribute to the plastic waste problem that our planet is currently facing. After operating for a few months under the “cut and package” procedures, I realized that I needed to come up with an alternative way to grow the microgreens that eliminated the need for single-use plastics, while still maintaining a high quality product, a low carbon footprint, without sacrificing customer convenience and satisfaction.
When I was first thinking of what business model I should go with, I thought that nothing produces a tastier and more nutritious green than growing in soil. I knew that I had to grow in a compost based soil to achieve the quality my customers were looking for, but wasn’t willing to use plastic clamshells to make a final sale. This thinking led me to producing live trays.
Some microgreens growers produce live trays for chefs to harvest as they need it, thus eliminating the need for the grower to harvest, package or refrigerate the product before delivery. The issue I had with the live tray model of production is the use of the industry standard 10x20” or 10x10” plastic grow tray. Growers typically require their customers to hold onto the trays for pick up and reuse. I found that this expectation placed on the customer often strained the business relationship. The trays eventually end up getting lost or broken and the grower is forced to charge the customers or eat the cost themselves. Thus putting a wedge between the customer/vendor relationship and it was something I really wanted to avoid.
This dilemma led me to a new solution! A 100% biodegradable tray that maintains the highest quality and convenience of use for chefs. When customers receive our live trays, the greens are still growing and the yield potential continues to increase until a timely harvest is made.
The customer now has no obligation to hold onto plastic trays or clamshells, while freeing up valuable real estate in their fridges and walk in coolers. By working with Mycogreens, Chefs can now focus on plating their amazing dishes with the highest quality microgreens possible and can simply throw the tray in the compost when they’re finished. There is no single use plastic involved and no relationship problems when you work with Mycogreens!
True Leaf Stage
To my knowledge, I am now the only producer in the Bay Area that grows live-trays of microgreens that are 100% biodegradable and I have completely eliminated the use of single use plastics within the business. My prices remain extremely competitive, I offer a hassle-free customer service experience that is proactive rather than responsive and I strive to make sure my customers are 100% satisfied with every purchase.
When you work with Mycogreens, everybody wins, including the planet to which we all call home.
Please join me in protecting Mother Nature, while we work towards a healthier and more sustainable future. And remember, “when you’re done with your tray, just throw it away!”
Ready to order?
Our selection rotates weekly and is available for delivery or local pickup.
To see what’s available this week, reach out to Paul via email at mycogreens.farm.sf@gmail.com or send us a DM on Instagram @mycogreens.farm.sf.