MOSS LANDING, Calif. — Far West Fungi production manager Kyle Garrone wants to clear up a couple of misconceptions the public has about exotic mushrooms.

First, they do not grow on a manure-based substrate.

Second, they do not grow in total darkness.

The mushrooms Garrone and his crew produce grow on a wood-based substrate and require some light.

“The mushrooms we grow are primary decomposers that grow on logs and require a small amount of light compared to the compost decomposers that need darkness,” he said.

Far West Fungi, founded by the Garrone family 35 years ago, grows more than 12 varieties — Shiitake; Pink, Yellow and Blue Tree Oyster; King Trumpet; Lion’s Mane; Woodear; Pioppini; Cinnamon Cap; and Reishi mushrooms.

The family grows the crop in 80,000 square feet of indoor mushroom houses on 8 acres near Moss Landing in California’s Monterey County.

The growing process is complicated.

The mushrooms are wood decomposers, so the farm has large piles of hardwood sawdust that is mixed with other ingredients such as rice bran, milo and small amounts of calcium. This is mixed with water and the mixture is put in special bags.

The bags are put on carts and placed into an autoclave, where it is cooked at 250 degrees to sterilize the growing medium. The bags are then moved to a clean room where the substrate is inoculated with mycelium of the specific species of mushroom. Mycelium is the vegetative part of a fungus.

Garrone said the inoculated substrate is placed in “grow rooms” where the mycelium will spread through the medium. When the mycelium has fully colonized the substrate, the bags are moved to “fruiting” rooms where they are opened so that mushrooms can grow and later be harvested.

The process takes 3-12 weeks for most varieties, but some medicinal varieties — particularly Reishi — take 6 months or longer to incubate.

Many of the medicinal mushroom varieties have been around a long time. For thousands of years they have been used to treat health conditions and symptoms, from altitude sickness and high cholesterol to colds and flus.

Far West Fungi also sells “Mini Farms” designed to be grown indoors. A “farm” can produce about 1 1/2 pounds of mushrooms.

California is the second largest mushroom-producing state after Pennsylvania. There is an increased interest in mushroom production so more farms are popping up.

Each variety of mushroom grows on different materials and has different needs. They also vary greatly in their taste and texture.

“The most popular mushroom we grow is shiitake,” he said. “The hardest to grow is maitake.”

The rarest mushrooms are the foraged varieties like morel, porcini and truffles, he said.

The biggest challenge in the growth process is keeping the environmental and sterilized conditions consistent.

Foreign competition is a worry, too. Garrone said that in spite of the popularity and growth of California mushroom farms, competing with mushroom substrate imported from China is a big problem. The product is completely assembled in China, meaning the substrate and mycelium is all Chinese, but they are shipped to the U.S., where they are fruited and labeled a product of the U.S.

Despite the China situation, Garrone says the market is, well, mushrooming.

“We’re glad there is a growing interest in mushroom production,” he said. “It is exciting to see how many more people are eating mushrooms and getting involved in the process.”

Age: 36.

Occupation: Production Manager, Far West Fungi.

Residence: Moss Landing, Calif.

Personal quote: “Our aim is to produce high-quality, organic, exotic mushrooms for our consumers.”