History

• Mushroom cultivation has been practiced for decades throughout the world but didn't make its way to the United States until late in the 19th century. Mushroom spawn is similar to plant seeds. At first, production was unreliable due to poor quality spawn that had to be shipped from Europe. In the early 1900s the USDA developed high-quality mushroom spawn, which significantly advanced the cultivation of mushrooms in the United States.
  
  

Methods

• Commercially, white button mushrooms are grown in large buildings designed specifically for mushroom production. These buildings have climate controls for temperature and humidity, along with specific growing media for the mushroom variety. To ensure a consistent supply, commercial growers have mushrooms in all stages of growth.
  
  

Industry

• Oyster mushrooms may be a good choice for the small farmer.mushrooms image by Warren Rosenberg from Fotolia.com
  
  Pennsylvania is the leading state in white button mushroom production and California is second. Ninety percent of the mushrooms produced commercially in the United States are white button mushrooms. The production of specialty mushrooms such as shitake and oyster have not yet been commercialized and may be a good choice for the small farmer.