UBC Farm CSA Box Mushroom Add-on and FAQ

UBC's Faculty of Land and Food Systems offers one of the best Agricultural Sciences programs in the world. UBC Farm is no small part of the success of that program, providing an incredible hands-on experience for students and volunteers on a real, working farm.

Community Supported Agriculture ("CSA") is a valuable tool for Agribusiness, used to raise capital early in the year when it's most needed for the upcoming growing season by 'selling shares' of the year's produce to the public. In return, 'share holders' get regular access to pre-purchased, fresh seasonal produce as it becomes available.

This concept historically formed the basis of the modern Futures market, where the value of an investor's holding is linked to an underlying product waiting to be realized instead of shares in a company.

The Centre for Sustainable Food Systems ("CSFS") at UBC Farm, in keeping with this long history, offers its CSA Box Pickup Program, benefitting both the farm and its customers. A boxfull of produce pre-purchased through the program can be collected weekly on Tuesdays or Saturdays according to preference.

In partnership with UBC Farm and CSFS, Moxie Mushrooms is offering a Mushroom Add-on service for existing CSA Box Program Members.

From our Home Page, click on the "FARM BOXES" Button to book a course of weekly mushroom add-ons (Tuesdays only) or individual date, one-off additions (Tuesdays and listed Saturdays only) to your regular CSA Box for pickup.

FAQ:

Q: Who can order mushroom add-ons through the CSA Box Program?

A: Only existing UBC Farm CSFS CSA Box Program members can participate.

Q: When and how do I receive the mushrooms?

A: Your Mushroom Add-on will be included with your scheduled CSA Box Pickup. Currently, weekly pickup is only available for Tuesday, but you are able to book individual date, one-off additions on Tuesdays and alternate Saturdays. You can check the available dates on our Bookings Page. Remember that your Mushroom Add-ons are only available for pickup along with your regular CSA Box, so if you are scheduled to pickup on Tuesdays you cannot collect your Mushroom Add-on on a Saturday, etc.

Q: How much notice do you need for One-off Add-ons?

A: The point of CSA is that your product is 'grown to order'. We also grow for other markets and customers, so there may be some limited availability of extra products available at any time. We'll need a minimum of 48 hours notice to add additional mushrooms to your CSA Box if they are available, but if we happen to have run out at that time we will move your order delivery to a later date when they are available, most likely the next week. Unfortunately, you can't rush a good mushroom!

Q: Why do I have to be a CSA Box Program Member to get mushrooms?

A: The Mushroom Add-ons are delivered to UBC Farm for inclusion in your regular weekly CSA Box for pickup at the UBC Farm Stand. If you are not a member, you can still buy mushrooms at our stall nearby, or Find Us at another market in the region.

Q: Can I get a refund after paying if I change my mind?

A: Historically, because of the agreement to have a product provided for you at a future date, CSA policy is generally 'no refunds'. This is because your supporting funds are quickly invested in things like seeds, machinery and other infrastructure to help the farm produce what you've paid for. Despite this, UBC Farm CSFS CSA Box Program offers an 80% refund up until April 15 (roughly a month and a half before the CSA Box Pickup dates start, presumably just before they plant the seeds for your purchase in the ground), and non-refundable thereafter, and we will honour that same refund policy.

Q: How many mushrooms can I get?

A: The standard Mushroom Add-on is for 1/2 pound of either Shiitake or a Mixed Mushroom Medley of at least 5 gourmet mushroom varieties. Like your CSA Box, mushroom varieties can vary throughout the season. The booking options allow you to pre-order up to 2 pounds of Shiitake and Mixed Mushrooms weekly, and add up to a further 2 pounds of Shiitake and Mixed Mushrooms as one-off additions.

Q: Are the Mixed Mushroom Add-ons cultivated or wild mushrooms?

A: Moxie Mushrooms Ltd. mainly supplies cultivated mushrooms throughout the year, but we also get our hands on seasonal, wild, forest-foraged mushrooms. We're approved by local health authorities to identify these safely for your consumption. When we have them, they'll be included in the Mixed Mushroom Add-on. If you're unsure which mushrooms you have, check our Blog Page for information on the mushrooms available that week.

Q: Can I eat these mushrooms raw, or should I cook them?

A: In all cases, it's best to cook mushrooms thoroughly before eating them. The dietary fibre that forms mushrooms tends to lock up the nutritional content. Cooking helps to break down cell membranes, improving the nutritional bioavailablity. Most health-beneficial mushroom compounds ('nutraceuticals') are highly resistant to cooking temperatures, and do not degrade. Many are beta-glucans, like the soluble fibre found in oats. In some cases, raw mushrooms even contain toxins that can be harmful, but cooking completely destroys such toxins - Shiitake is one of these! Fan-favourite wild-foraged mushrooms, Morels are also toxic when raw.

Q: How should I clean these mushrooms before cooking?

A: Cultivated gourmet mushrooms are grown on pasteurized, wood-based media ("substrate"). In some cases, the base of your mushrooms will hold on to a small amount of the substrate when harvested. Simply trim away any visible substrate with a sharp knife. These mushrooms have not been sprayed or otherwise treated with any chemicals, and are ready to process and cook without washing. Wild, foraged mushrooms have been obtained from a forest environment (Crown Forestry Land) that has not been treated or exposed to any chemicals. They may have some forest floor debris in contact with them, such as soil/sand or leaves (often pine needles), in which case you should use a soft brush to remove visible debris, and gently rinse their surfaces only if deemed necessary to loosen dried-on material. Naturally-occuring micro-organisms from that environment and any toxins in certain mushrooms considered 'conditionally edible', such as Morels, are destroyed by cooking thoroughly. Check our Blog Posts and Shop pages for creative processing techniques and recipe suggestions for individual mushrooms.