Mushroom picking in New Zealand is usually a paddock-hunting affair, sifting through grass, while dodging cow pats, for the elusive, earthy culinary delights. But mushroom expert Christopher Smith is overseeing a burgeoning fungi business based on edible native mushrooms, while also helping iwi preserve and commercialise their taonga. Richard Rennie reports.
Native NZ mushrooms are relatively unknown to many Kiwis, but once formed a valuable out of season protein source for early Māori, their autumn growth coinciding with oncoming leaner winter diets.
Former Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research scientist Christopher Smith says the fungi provided a protein source that, while not as great as meat, was useful for filling the dietary gap.
“For early Māori they were also seen as something of a utility source. You could harvest a certain species, dry it and light it on fire, which would then smoulder for days and provide a valuable fire starter as you moved between camps,” Smith said.
His interest in mushrooms extends back a decade after time spent in the bush; impressed at the artistic, almost mystical patterns of native fungi, it inspired him to try and grow some for himself.
Realising his Fine Arts degree wasn’t the best foundation for greater fungi knowledge, he decided to study science, progressing to a Masters to learn all he could about fungal biology, genomics and the fungal species of Aotearoa.
“Manaaki Whenua Landcare were starting a project looking at native fungi as an alternative protein source and I got on board with it, the timing was ideal,” he said.
Biosecurity rules prevent any fungi being introduced that were not here before 1996.
“For that reason, we have never had any new species from overseas added to our options. So, the obvious solution to grow the market is to commercialise the ones we already have,” he said.
“The mushrooms are taonga and I wanted to work with iwi right from the start of this project.”
Reaching out through Landcare’s iwi connections, he started working with several iwi trusts.
Working from a 20-foot shipping container in early trials, they were able to grow 20kg a month, with product that was in demand in high-end restaurants, with chefs keen to try native produce in dishes.
The early work shortlisted the potential natives down to eight, including the pekepeke-kiore, which resembles cascading coral and is often found on tree trunks in the forest.
It was found to generate the most consistent and highest crop yield per kg of input, which is predominately sawdust.
The list of eight contrasted to the relatively few non-native mushrooms presently available for sale in NZ, tending to be limited to shiitake, button, oyster and enokitake.
The decision to scale up the operation, with assistance through KiwiNet funding and support, posed something of a moral dilemma for Smith.
“My specialty is technical knowledge, rather than commercialising. We felt that because the mushrooms are taonga, any commercial operation should sit with iwi,” he said.
“We reached out to Auckland’s Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei who have a site at Ōrākei they were developing for their people that includes a native plant nursery and orchard focused on feeding whānau.”
Having left Landcare, Smith now has his own company, The Mushroom Smith, providing advice and fungal spawn to the project.
The ownership of a business marketing taonga has highlighted to Smith the significance of food sovereignty. This is underscored by the Wai 262 claim – the Waitangi Tribunal claim about the recognition of rights and control of traditional Māori knowledge, customs and relationships to the natural environment.
By the end of the year, he is confident iwi will have production up to 100kg a week of high-value native mushrooms, retailing at $60-$80/kg. This compares to shiitake that sell for about $50/kg.
Ultimately, he can see the potential to offer the native mushrooms as part of a native food portfolio to chefs and gourmets. Iwi engagement is also strong in the high-value mānuka honey market, with tribal support strong for the label’s protection from non-NZ source claims.
“And what we are doing with the mushrooms provides a template for production and commercialisation we could rollout to other iwi, given the mushrooms tend to grow across the country,” he said.
The ability to grow the mushrooms on minimal land in shipping containers makes them ideal for engaging with a largely urban iwi population, while operating costs are reasonably low and market outlets nearby.
“The key thing is to keep the air fresh and the humidity high, which can be done reasonably well in Auckland all year round,” he said.
When it comes to the eating experience, he says he prefers his tempura style, deep fried in a light batter to keep the flavours in.
For Smith the reward in pursuing his fungal passion is still being earnt through working with iwi to grow a product they feel strongly connected to and can generate jobs and opportunities with.
He also attributes much to KiwiNet, the body where public research agencies pool funding and resources to get their best research discoveries investor ready.
His efforts have been recognised with him being one of four finalists in this year’s KiwiNet innovation awards in the “breakthrough innovator” section.
“It was not just the funding, but the incredible level of mentorship and support I received, it was invaluable in helping us get started,” he said.
