Margin’s Mushrooms have been trading at the Carriageworks Farmers Market for 10 years. We spoke with owners Christine and Kim about their product, the origins of their farm, and sustainability.
Tell us about your mushrooms!
At Margin’s Mushrooms we grow three varieties of mushrooms: White Mushrooms, Swiss Browns and Oyster Mushrooms.
What makes your mushrooms stand out?
Definitely their freshness and the fact we don’t use any sprays or pesticides on our product.
How did you begin growing mushrooms?
Margin’s Mushrooms started off as a bit of an experiment to see if a cool room from our old ice cream factory would be suitable for us to grow mushrooms in. I met with Neal Marland who showed me their state-of-the-art mushroom farm which really helped inspire me to set up the rooms and take growing mushrooms seriously.
In June 2011 we expanded our operation into the old Woy Woy Abattoirs which had been closed and unused for 7-8 years. The whole family jumped in and helped with the set up and we eventually produced our first crop later that year.
Can you tell us more about Margins’ sustainability?
At our coldrooms in Woy Woy, we are able to control the air temperature and humidity to save energy costs. We are solar powered which meets 85% of our daytime needs and 99% of our inputs are recycled. We reuse our boxes and sell our product in paper bags that we have specially made in Sydney which are thicker and moisture absorbent.
When harvesting mushrooms we cut off the root matter and this is collected and given to our local Permaculture group. It is a fantastic resource for them as it is our waste being put to good use.
Can people visit your farm?
The farm is open to the public from 9am to 12pm Monday to Saturday OR when the open signs are displayed out front.
Visit Margin’s Mushrooms every Saturday at Carriageworks Farmers Market. Open from 8am – 1pm.