Skip to content

Meet Your Farmer: Summerland’s What The Fungus

Not all mushrooms are found in the forest, something Brian Callow knows well.

Not all mushrooms are found in the forest, something Brian Callow knows well.

“A lot of people are surprised that we have mushrooms here, and they think they’re from the wild, and really surprised that we are cultivating the mushrooms in Summerland,” said Callow. “They have a real artisanal look, because we grow them outdoor in greenhouses, and that always surprises people.”

Callow worked in the restaurant industry, and seven years ago saw the high demand for mushrooms in the Okanagan. Two years later, after researching the subject, he began What the Fungus in Summerland.

“I was really fascinated with mushroom cultivation. We’re not really taught mushroom in school, so I found it very fascinating.”

Callow’s farm is seasonal, which means the specific mushrooms available change over the year. He supplies mushrooms to 45 restaurants across the Okanagan and tries to keep far enough ahead of demand to also make it out to the farmers’ markets whenever he can.