Arethusa Urban Farms
Quality, fresh, exotic culinary mushrooms. Tastefully grown in any urban space.
Built on design principles that eliminate plastic waste while reducing agricultural emissions, all while utilizing organic industrial byproducts to produce highly sought after culinary delights. Arethusa Urban Farms cultivates high value, nutritous, and delicious fungi to fill the gap in mushroom production while bringing it home to the core of Western Canada's food culture.
Our team. A dynamic duo, Arethusa has been founded by long-time friends Quinn Manning and Ren WHitelaw. Quinn is the mycology, technology, natural health, and operations head while Ren is the business, marketing, relations, and finance specialist.
Nutritional profile. Inspired from herbalism, backed by science. Lion's Mane and Oyster mushroom products contain protein with nutrition comparable to meat. Our varieties of fresh mushroom have ~3g of protein per 100g, with equal parts fiber. However, when these mushrooms are prepared they can lose up to 70+ grams of water weight. A ready-to-eat product made from these mushrooms can contain up to 25 grams of protein per 100g serving, equivalent to that of chicken and beef. Unique from plants, mushrooms contain protein most similar to animal cells, and contains healthy servings of iron, potassium, B vitamins, as well as complex amino acids and other micro nutrients.
Productivity. Our varieties have been an exotic low barrier crop for most of the past century. They can grow abundantly on grain mash byproducts, bulk grains, as well as unprocessed grain right from farmers. Built on information shared through a global network of growers, as well as the local network of mycology scholars and enthusiasts we estimate a weekly capacity to produce 10kg of fruited mushrooms for every 10m/sq of space we have available, with 12hrs or less worked to achieve this.
Important to keep in mind, mushroom "fruits" are what we usually consume, but the mycelium is also delectable and nutritious. Mushrooms produce in a 20:3 ratio from input material to fruit. By connecting with local industrial food producers who already utilize mushroom mycelium, we can greatly improve the profitability of production. We also plan to produce a ready to eat product line utilizing more of what we grow.
Additionally, a full growth cycle can complete in 1 to 2 months, with potential for two quick succession harvests in the final two weeks. Due to these mushrooms high retail pricing, and limited supply, we expect to sell out our harvests similar to the wild harvest industry.
Market Strategy. As the local demand continues to soar for culinary mushrooms, our produce will fill the needs of businesses and consumers alike.
Initially, Arethusa will persue sales channels for the freshest and nearest culinary mushrooms in the city, seeking to sell direcly to classy restaurants and wholistic eateries.
During this stage, R&D for a consumer line of products will begin, utilizing commercial ghost kitchens in the city to develop recipes and preperation methods that create hearty comfort foods and snacks.
From the the early life of this urban farm, client relations will be cultivated to allow our products to be sold in specialty grocer networks as well as directly to restaurants.
Automation. Utilizing custom built environmental control systems and labour saving equipment, growth conditions can be controlled automatically, keeping hours worked to essential tasks like processing and harvesting.
With the recent improvements to open-source microcontrollers, Arethusa's development of custom environmental systems and production equipment will be swift, affordable, and repeatable.
Local first. Prioritizing our nearby economy, creating valueable jobs; all the while bringing nutritious food to our markets as fresh as possible.
Sustainability. A versatile and adaptable business is beyond value in our modern era. Growing high value crops in urban spaces increases food quality, reduces the impact of shipping on quality and the environment, while benefiting our communities of operation.
Our team. A dynamic duo, Arethusa has been founded by long-time friends Quinn Manning and Ren WHitelaw. Quinn is the mycology, technology, natural health, and operations head while Ren is the business, marketing, relations, and finance specialist.
Nutritional profile. Inspired from herbalism, backed by science. Lion's Mane and Oyster mushroom products contain protein with nutrition comparable to meat. Our varieties of fresh mushroom have ~3g of protein per 100g, with equal parts fiber. However, when these mushrooms are prepared they can lose up to 70+ grams of water weight. A ready-to-eat product made from these mushrooms can contain up to 25 grams of protein per 100g serving, equivalent to that of chicken and beef. Unique from plants, mushrooms contain protein most similar to animal cells, and contains healthy servings of iron, potassium, B vitamins, as well as complex amino acids and other micro nutrients.
Productivity. Our varieties have been an exotic low barrier crop for most of the past century. They can grow abundantly on grain mash byproducts, bulk grains, as well as unprocessed grain right from farmers. Built on information shared through a global network of growers, as well as the local network of mycology scholars and enthusiasts we estimate a weekly capacity to produce 10kg of fruited mushrooms for every 10m/sq of space we have available, with 12hrs or less worked to achieve this.
Important to keep in mind, mushroom "fruits" are what we usually consume, but the mycelium is also delectable and nutritious. Mushrooms produce in a 20:3 ratio from input material to fruit. By connecting with local industrial food producers who already utilize mushroom mycelium, we can greatly improve the profitability of production. We also plan to produce a ready to eat product line utilizing more of what we grow.
Additionally, a full growth cycle can complete in 1 to 2 months, with potential for two quick succession harvests in the final two weeks. Due to these mushrooms high retail pricing, and limited supply, we expect to sell out our harvests similar to the wild harvest industry.
Market Strategy. As the local demand continues to soar for culinary mushrooms, our produce will fill the needs of businesses and consumers alike.
Initially, Arethusa will persue sales channels for the freshest and nearest culinary mushrooms in the city, seeking to sell direcly to classy restaurants and wholistic eateries.
During this stage, R&D for a consumer line of products will begin, utilizing commercial ghost kitchens in the city to develop recipes and preperation methods that create hearty comfort foods and snacks.
From the the early life of this urban farm, client relations will be cultivated to allow our products to be sold in specialty grocer networks as well as directly to restaurants.
Automation. Utilizing custom built environmental control systems and labour saving equipment, growth conditions can be controlled automatically, keeping hours worked to essential tasks like processing and harvesting.
With the recent improvements to open-source microcontrollers, Arethusa's development of custom environmental systems and production equipment will be swift, affordable, and repeatable.
Local first. Prioritizing our nearby economy, creating valueable jobs; all the while bringing nutritious food to our markets as fresh as possible.
Sustainability. A versatile and adaptable business is beyond value in our modern era. Growing high value crops in urban spaces increases food quality, reduces the impact of shipping on quality and the environment, while benefiting our communities of operation.
