A tour of Hazel Dell Mushroom Farm in Fort Collins, CO is nothing short of fascinating. I had the pleasure of traveling to this farm a couple of weekends ago with some cohorts from The Kitchen, and left with a newfound appreciation for fungus (this was accentuated by a visit to the doctor later that day, where, ironically, I was ordered to begin a course of penicillin for strep throat).
Where they occur naturally, mushrooms are the fruits of transformational processes that occur in nature, mostly in forests. Essentially, they are the biproducts of creative and destructive forces. Falling trees, decomposing elements in forest floors, and changes in humidity and temperature all spur different phases of mushroom production. Colorado conditions are hardly conducive to such production, primarily because humidity is so low. Hazel Dell is in the business, therefore, of simulating what happens in nature through carefully controlled environments. And they have it down to a science.
Hazel Dell cultivates 3000 pounds of mushrooms weekly! They produce Shitake and Cinnamon Cap (both originating in Asia), Oyster (N. America), King Oyster (Europe), Lion's Mane, and Portabella and Crimini (which are essentially the same and which grow in all parts of the world). Depending upon the variety, the mushrooms are grown in sawdust blocks made from oak and alder trees or composted sawdust from previously cultivated mushrooms. All the mushrooms grown at Hazel Dell, which are packed in plastic bags that function as micro environments, are rotated through a series of "rooms" (barns) including an incubation room held at 75% humidity and a harvest room that is slightly cooler and less humid. They take from three to fourteen weeks to mature.
Hazel Dell's Harvest Day happens yearly in October. Jim Hammond and his family open their farm to the public, cook up a feast of mushroom dishes for tourists' enjoyment, and offer self-guided tours of the "rooms". They also sell their mushrooms by the pound so visitors can take them and experiment on their own. Upon arriving home, I minced a mixture of Cinnamon Caps, Shitakes and Criminis, sauteed them with butter and garlic, doused them with cream, and served them on buttery crackers.
To find Hazel Dell, take exit 262 (Windsor) of I-25 North then go West less than a mile. See my link to their website, above, for more info.