Mushrooms will be on full display in every way at the 2023 PA Farm Show, January 7-14, 2023, highlighting the growing process, sustainable properties, and innovations, along with a host of delicious mushroom food offerings, the Mushroom Farmers of PA announced today.
Rooted in the PA Community
Ever wonder how mushrooms are grown? Or how they became the number one cash crop in PA? (Hint: it starts with carnations!)
Visit the Mushroom Booth in the Exhibition Hall, where you’ll be able to walk through the life cycle of a mushroom, from the compost wharf to the kitchen table. Along the way, there will be interactive experiences, including a live mushroom growing display and information on the composting process, mushroom varieties, ways to use mushrooms in the kitchen, and more.
Rooted in Sustainability
Growing mushrooms is a unique blend of recycling, science, and efficacy. This powerful combination makes them one of the most sustainably produced foods in the United States. Mushroom growers are known as the ‘ultimate recyclers’ for their ability to convert byproducts and waste from other sectors of agriculture into the compost or medium used to grow mushrooms.
Because of this recycling of other agricultural crops and byproducts, mushroom farms have a smaller environmental footprint than almost any other farms.
Rooted in Nutrition
Full of powerful nutrients, mushrooms are increasingly being named as a must-have on healthy plates. They are a superfood; filled with a host of vitamins and minerals, and have little to none of the things you don’t want like calories, fat, sugar, salt, or gluten. This year, a variety of mushroom dishes can be found at the Mushroom Food Booth at the food court, including:
- Blended Mushroom Steakhouse Burger: A bold, new take on the 2019 Farm Show’s #1 Food Item, this burger is a blend of 60% grass-fed beef with 40% fresh Pennsylvania Mushrooms to create a juicy, delicious burger patty. It’s served on a Martin’s Potato Roll and topped with cheese, sauteed mushrooms, and a tangy Alabama-style barbeque sauce. A great burger made better—less fat, less sodium, more nutritious and lots of bold flavor!
- RoRo’s Mushroom Salad: A longtime favorite, this 100% gluten free, vegetarian option is a bowl full of marinated mushrooms with chopped onion, celery, carrots and olives in olive oil and vinegar seasoned with salt, pepper and parsley.
- Original Breaded Mushrooms: The best-selling mushroom item since 1978, with more than 6000 pounds prepared annually, the Original Breaded Mushroom are crispy, whole white mushrooms breaded in 100% vegetable oil, and served with ketchup and ranch dressings on the side.
- Shredded Port Nachos: These are ‘nacho’ father’s nachos! This super snack includes 100% shredded Portabella mushrooms in a tangy barbeque sauce topped on crispy tortilla chips with cheese and drizzled with sour cream. No meat. No soy. All flavor!
- Cream of Mushroom Soup: Loaded with mushrooms made with real milk, butter, onions, vegetable broth, and seasonings, this soup is the quintessential mushroom dish.
Take some mushrooms home! Available for sale at the Mushroom Food Booth:
- White Button Mushrooms: They are the most popular variety of mushrooms for a reason. These freshly-picked mushrooms come in an 8oz till and are great for slicing into eggs, into salads, and into your favorite dinner dishes.
- Savory Wild Mushroom Jerky: What happens when one of the planet’s most sustainable foods is paired with some of the most bold, authentic flavor combinations from around the world? Savory Wild Portabella mushroom jerky snacks, packed with nutrients and bursting with flavor!
- 100% Mushroom Gourmet Crumble: Baby Bella, White, and Portabella mushrooms grown and harvested in PA are diced together in 8 oz cups for a versatile and convenient way to incorporate mushroom flavor in all your dishes. Blend them into burgers, tacos, or meatloaf; add to eggs, soups, and pastas; top on pizzas and flatbreads; and elevate chicken, steaks, and chops.
Media & Consumer Alert!
Mushroom Healthy Happy Hour
January 10, 4-6pm
Farm Show Food Court
We know the immune system is important for staying healthy, but what exactly is it and what can we do to support it? And how exactly do mushrooms play a part?
Registered Dietitian and board-certified specialist in sports dietetics Leslie Bonci will be on hand
to talk about mushroom nutrition, offer recipe inspiration, and answer questions
about incorporating mushrooms into a healthy diet.
Attendees can sample mushroom dishes, will receive a coupon for $1.00 off the Blended Mushroom Steakhouse Burger, and will also be entered to win a Mushroom Gift Basket.
About Mushroom Farmers of Pennsylvania:
Mushroom Farmers of Pennsylvania (MFPA), headquartered in Avondale, Pennsylvania, is a statewide, voluntary group representing the growers, processors and marketers of cultivated mushrooms in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. For more information, visit www.pamushrooms.org.
Mushroom Facts:
- PA is the Mushroom Capital of the World.
- Mushrooms are big business in PA, with an economic impact of $1.3 billion, supporting nearly 9,400 jobs and $313 million in wages.
- Mushroom growers are the original recyclers: growing one pound of mushrooms uses less than 2 gallons of water, just 1 kw of energy, and less than 1 pound of CO2 equivalents.
- Nearly 60% of all mushroom production occurs in southeastern PA, specifically Chester and Berks county.
- Mushrooms are plant-based superfood; high in vitamins and minerals, low in calories and sodium, and fat-, cholesterol-, and gluten-free.
- Mushrooms are grown year round.