Inside Swersey Silos
What’s it like to work at the world’s largest mycelium farm?
On July 25th, 2022, MyForest Foods celebrated the commissioning of our new, vertical AirMycelium™ farm, Swersey Silos in Green Island, NY. This farm, which has the capacity to produce nearly three million pounds of mycelium per year, is our ticket to feeding the future!
Six months later, a lot has changed. Our farm team has grown from 3 to 11 employees. Once a construction site, Swersey Silos is now a commissioned production facility.
To get a true taste of mycelium farm life, we turned to Sean, our Farm Shift Lead.
Before we get into the farm… how’d YOU end up here, Sean?
S: I was a Research and Development Operator at our origin company, Ecovative, who developed and built Swersey Silos. During that time, I fell in love with the mission behind this sustainable approach to food, and the world of mycelium as a whole.
I made the move to MyForest soon after the Farm Shift Lead position opened. By that time, I knew the entire process of filling a mycelium growth chamber, and I was ready to help figure out how to do it at a larger scale at the new farm.
Since last summer, what’s changed at Swersey Silos?
S: A lot! It seems like just yesterday that our farm was an active construction site. We have vacuumed, scrubbed, rinsed, mopped, squeegeed, and sweated for 100’s of hours to prepare this space for each carefully controlled grow.
When it comes to our specialized equipment, nothing is plug-and-play. We had to refine, change and add to each piece of machinery for our own growing purposes; a big process. Then, we had to implement controlled access, PPE requirements, and new policies and procedures before we were actually ready to start growing.
Our first harvest at the new farm was in late November; we used just a fraction of our growing capacity. Today, we’re 8 harvests in, with production yields steadily on the rise.
Tell us about that first harvest… Did it go as planned?
S: For those of us who had experienced a harvest from our pilot growth chamber at Ecovative, many things translated easily to the farm—but not everything. Add in brand new equipment and new operators… I’ll admit it: I, personally, had zero confidence in quality mycelium being grown in that run.
So when that harvest rivaled our best out of our pilot chamber on the first try? It was almost unbelievable at first. But then it sunk in: Years of collective hard work are paying off. This thing really might work! It was 100% more than anything we could have ever expected.
So, what now? What’s the goal from here?
S: We are laying the groundwork for a new model of vertical mycelium farming here. Scaling the facility is a huge goal, of course — but the relationships are of equal importance. We need to continue to grow our team with valuable hires and continue to maintain positive working relationships with our teammates to foster a culture of safety and respect.
The fun part is that we are never really “there”. Even after the scaling goals, we’re constantly on the lookout for ways to improve yield, optimize safety or increase efficiency. It’s always about solving the right problems.
What keeps you motivated?
S: The potential of this company is so inspiring. I feel fortunate to have had the unique opportunity to be a part of it all from the very beginning. I think there will always be something new to discover about aerial mycelium that will keep us learning for years to come.
Sounds exciting! (Who wants to join us?)
If Sean’s account of Swersey Silos has you intrigued, maybe you’ve got a future in farm-grown mycelium, too? Check our careers page for the latest opportunities—because we’re just gonna keep growing!