Mushrooms require fresh air and clean water for optimal growth, and Pingxi is just the place for it. Hidden in the mountains, Mita Eco Fungi is different from other mushroom farms. Here, you won’t find any hardwood logs or sawdust mushroom bags; you’ll only see piles and piles of coffee grounds, bamboo sawdust and rice straw. After being sterilized at high temperatures, these materials, normally viewed as agricultural waste, are actually extremely suitable for cultivating mushrooms.

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Founder of Mita Eco Fungi, Zheng Ren-kai, proudly showed us the biodegradable “tree bag,” telling us the sustainable farming technique he learned in Europe: turning waste into nutrients. This technique reduces deforestation and carbon emissions as well as agricultural waste. The spent mushroom compost generated can be used as fertilizer by other organic farmers to give back to earth and increase the value of mushrooms.

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Commitment to the environment

Since its establishment in October 2015, Mita is still working on developing mushroom growing techniques despite acquiring growing mediums and investing in development and equipment. Mushrooms are sensitive to temperature, humidity, light, vibration and even wind. After continuous testing for seven months, they successfully produced their first batch of products. The Mita team is incredibly grateful for every person who has helped them along the way.

To give mushrooms a healthier and purer environment, Zheng Ren-kai uses organic potato dextrose agar as growth media. He believes in giving back to the environment.

 

Manufacturers and consumers join hands to protect the environment

Pingxi is located close to Taipei, so agricultural products can be transported over a shorter distance than, say, mushroom growing sites in Taichung, which helps reduce carbon footprint and keep products fresh. Mita aims to provide consumers local, low-carbon, and sustainable food.

Mita Eco Fungi plants different types of mushrooms in different seasons. During the hot summer days, they plant black fungus. In cooler weather, they plant oyster mushrooms, a rare species in Taiwan. In order to allow more people to know the oyster mushroom, Mita set up a stall in an organic farm market in Taipei, attracting visitors with delicious dishes cooked with oyster mushrooms, which are produced in organic growing medium.

 

Awakening the beauty of the land

For Mita Eco Fungus, the most important goal right now is to plant healthy mushrooms and make ends meet. Zheng Ren-kai has high hopes for the future. He hopes to help more aspiring entrepreneurs who want to start a sustainable farming business. When more people are making an effort to help the environment, we become closer to achieving our dream.