Hamakua Mushrooms

We were lucky to be the only two on the tour on a Thursday morning at 9:30am. Kenta greeted us and for the next one and a half hours, took us through the entire process of how they grow these beautiful Ali’i mushrooms in jars in the indoor growing rooms. It was very informative and enjoyable and fun! We saw a short video, a short food demonstration on how to cut and use mushrooms in cooking, and tasting! We even got a chance to meet the owner, Bob (previously was a helicopter pilot). They are doing a great job supplying the islands with their organic farmed mushrooms… wish they will expand and sell on the mainland.

This was a fun unique experience and though not something I planned on doing in Hawaii it ended up being among the more memorable activities! They have tours Tuesday and Thursday mornings, around $ 20 per person that you reserve online. We were the only 2 on a Tuesday morning tour with Kenta, who was friendly and worked hard to answer all of my questions. Before this I had never given much thought to how mushrooms at the grocery store are produced, and although this is a small scale facility with mainly local exports, I definitely learned a lot! They even give you some samples made with the mushrooms; I especially liked the mushroom chocolate chip cookies! I also found their Ali’i mushrooms in dishes at a few restaurants on the island and it was a cool farm to table experience.

You know the old industrial engineer comparison to being a mushroom: the boss keeps me in the dark and throws manure on me all day! Well Hamakua Mushrooms busted that myth. These bottle-​based fungi live in a perfect climate, well lit and in a sterile environment. Very interesting and informative tour guided by Jane was well thought out and presented with enthusiasm. Learned a lot about the growth cycle and enjoyed the tasting.
We like supporting the local businesses and these folks do a great job. Glad we found this opportunity.

We were interested in growing our own mushrooms & wanted to visit & learn first hand. We brought our children with us. We all enjoyed the tour. Great informative tour with tasting, added value items & a cute store. Kenta was a great & knowledgeable host. Kaamaina rates available.

I knew I had made the right decision to go on this tour when one of the people on the tour said that it was her second time to the farm. She brought her family along. Repeat guests typically mean you had a good experience the first time. The couple who bought this farm and have developed this business obviously care about this product as well as their employees. I will have a much greater appreciation for mushrooms as a result of this experience.

I have talked about taking this tour for a couple of years. Finally got it done last week when company from the Mainland came to visit. Wonderful tour by our friendly and knowledgable tour guide, Jane.
I’ve always thought of mushrooms as growing in dark warehouses in big houses. This is so different and so clean an operation. They are very careful to make sure there is no dirt of bacteria brought in from outside.
After our great tour, Jane cooked some of the mushrooms for us and offered tastes of cookies, chips, and other tasty items. They have mushrooms for sale along with a very cute gift shop to purchase items from.
We plan on taking our next guest there in August. This tour will be one we share with guests from now on.

Very interesting specialty crop, entrepreneurial focus, nice tour and cooking demo. Love the product, buy it all the time at KTA. Have done this tour several times with visiting mainlanders, always a hit.

Did the tour today with a large group from the USDA. Have wanted to stop by before. It was an early tour and the weather was great. Everything you expect on the Hamakua coast.
The farm operates on a sustainable agriculture motto. I like that a lot. The staff is local. The farm is clean and professionally operated.
The farm is unique as the mushrooms are grown in bottles utilizing a Japanese method.
Lani and Jane took care of the group today. Our first stop was the substrate mixer, autoclave, and bottle cleaning station. Very interesting.
Next we moved inside. A very informative video explains the whole process. We were shown the production areas within the plant.
The mushrooms are amazing. Everything you thought you knew about eating and cooking mushrooms is about to change.
The staff prepared a bountiful selection of their mushrooms. They explained the proper technique to cook mushrooms to gain the most health benefits, and the flavor, wow!
We picked up some of the mushroom value added products available. Cookies and tea. The cookies were amazing. The tea will wait until we get home.
Will we go again? Of course, when friends come to visit, this will be on the schedule.

We actually missed the tour (FYI, you need to call ahead and book in advance). But, the owners, Bob and Janice, graciously accommodated and we were so lucky get a personal tour. They normally don’t get involved with the tour end of their business. Very informative and genuinely lovely people. Worth a visit.

You should go on this tour! Learn a lot about different mushrooms and how to prepare them. Organic and sterile.
Amber lead the tour today. She was very knowledgeable and helpful. She even cooked up a batch of different mushrooms and had us sample the different how the flavors and texture can change with how you slice the mushrooms.
Then we sampled many different food products made with mushrooms. Even baked goods and flavored butters.