Fungi-loving friends Michael Zaccano and Nicholas Wadding are growing their specialty mushroom business in Armstrong County.
They co-own Bounty Beneath Mushrooms, a gourmet mushroom farm housed above ground on the second floor of a former 1800s-era wool factory in Worthington.
Zaccano of Springdale and Wadding of Kittanning met at a party and discovered a shared interest in mushrooms. They opened their brick-and-mortar, above-ground mushroom “farm” in November.
The mushrooms are grown on-site and delivered to Pittsburgh-area chefs, farmers markets and the public.
They recently signed on as regular vendors at the 2024 Oakmont Farmers Market and quickly sold out of mushrooms earlier this month on opening day.
For now, the business prioritizes supplying mushrooms to the chefs who rely on their freshly harvested mushrooms for their culinary needs.
“Our restaurant clients are the bulk of our sales,” said Wadding, who originally began growing mushrooms as a hobby.
Both men agreed that the demand for their mushrooms is growing.
“We’re trending upward and our competition is limited. Most other farms don’t have the option of scale that we have here. We’d like to eventually build surface-made rooms with floor drains in the floor,” Zaccano said.
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Bounty Beneath Mushrooms co-owners Nicholas Wadding (left) and Michael Zaccano stand inside one of the rooms with mushroom-growing tents.
The Bounty remote team includes friend and co-owner Mikhail Rasner of Brickell, Fla.
Rasner and another friend, co-owner Kyle O’Leary of St. Louis, oversee business development and client relations.
“I visit Pittsburgh about every four to six weeks to host private wellness dinners,” Rasner said.
The first dinner of its kind was in February at Jillian’s Restaurant in New Kensington, and another is scheduled for June 4 at Lilith in Shadyside.
Administrative and marketing duties are facilitated by full-time employee Maggie Fromm of Austin, Texas.
“I do love mushrooms, and I wish I could get them out here,” Fromm said.
Joyce Hanz | TribLive
Black pearl king oyster mushrooms are grown at Bounty Beneath Mushrooms, a new indoor mushroom farm in Worthington, Armstrong County.
Restaurant clients include Lilith, Jillian’s Restaurant and River Forest Country Club in Allegheny Township.
Lilith chef and co-owner Jamilka Borges orders up to 40 pounds of mushrooms from Bounty each week.
“We use them in different applications, and customers really like them,” said Borges of Blawnox. “King oyster mushrooms are cut, scored and seared like a scallop, and it really mimics the texture of scallops.
“We’ve enjoyed the process of getting to know them as farmers. They’re responsive, and they want to hear feedback. They’re very knowledgeable and passionate about their product.”
Philip Call, Jillian’s owner and chef, describes himself as a huge mushroom fan.
Zaccano, also known as “Mushroom Mike,” cold-called Jillian’s last year and dropped off a box of mushrooms in an effort to solicit business. Call used the mushrooms that very night.
“I called him the next day and said I’d take any mushrooms he could send,” Call said.
Call orders about 20 pounds weekly and gravitates toward the lion’s mane mushrooms for his menu.
“I like a mushroom mix of everything, but the lion’s mane is so versatile and is great for vegans. I make an imitation crab cake with them,” Call said. “Their mushrooms are so great. They’re clean and in such a controlled environment. They sell themselves.”
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Lion’s mane mushrooms from Bounty Beneath Mushrooms are harvested Monday in Worthington, Armstrong County.
Bounty grows about 100 pounds of lion’s mane, black pearl king oyster and blue oyster mushrooms weekly to meet demand.
“We grow these varieties in particular because they have a similar requirement for growing conditions. They like the same temperatures, humidity and oxygen content,” Zaccano said.
Both men work full time to produce about 350 pounds of mushrooms per week.
The lion’s mane has garnered the most interest, with its textured, spongy white appearance similar to cauliflower.
“It has a seafoody flavor and is used as a seafood substitute like a vegan lobster. And medical research (has shown it) supports the regrowth of neurons in the brain,” said Zaccano, 27.
Wadding touted the lion’s mane’s medicinal properties and said he was motivated to grow the variety to help supply his mother, who is diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, with a nutritional supplement that has an easily traceable source.
The Oakmont Farmers Market at 600 Allegheny River Blvd. is one of two area markets they’ll frequent this summer. The Robinson Farmers Market is the other.
Zaccano handles the restaurant deliveries and touts the freshness and locally grown factors as reasons their mushrooms deliver flavor and freshness.
“So many mushrooms that chefs use are coming from across the state or are mass-produced,” said Wadding, 38.
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Bounty Beneath Mushrooms co-owner Michael Zaccano of Springdale holds harvest-ready oyster mushrooms growing from sawdust substrate Monday inside a climate-controlled growing tent.
The mushrooms grow in a sawdust block substrate that contains mycelium, the root-like structure of a fungus with branched and tubular filaments, in large climate- and humidity-controlled growing tents.
Humidity levels must remain around 70% to 90%, and the optimal growing temperature for mushrooms is between 55 and 70 degrees, with a preferred optimal temperature of 65 degrees.
Resembling the inside of a high-tech lab, a grow tent is accessed through a large, zippered entrance that leads to a cool, clean and well-lit room, lined with metal shelves filled with growing blocks.
Harvesting is carefully done by hand, and mushrooms are harvest-ready in five to 21 days from the first day they’re fruited in the tent.
Masks must be worn inside the growing tents to prevent bacteria and mold from getting on the mushrooms and to avoid inhaling mushroom spores.
A custom ventilation system helps the mushrooms produce a lot of carbon dioxide while growing. The system pushes out carbon dioxide and allows fresh oxygen to enter.
The blocks can be used to grow mushrooms for several weeks. After they’re done, they head to a compost pile.
“We’re trying to focus on long-term sustainability, like using reusable plastic crates instead of cardboard boxes to deliver mushrooms to customers,” Zaccano said.
Zaccano said a lot of customers are curious about gourmet mushrooms, but they’re not sure exactly what to do with them.
The oyster mushrooms are a great addition to pasta or pizza, Zaccano said.
“They have a delicate texture and a lovely meaty taste.”
Bounty Beneath Mushrooms is located at 107 W. Main St. in Worthington. To order mushrooms, call 724-482-3889 or find them on Facebook under Bounty Beneath Mushrooms.
Joyce Hanz is a native of Charleston, S.C. and is a features reporter covering the Pittsburgh region. She majored in media arts and graduated from the University of South Carolina. She can be reached at [email protected]
