Fungi are among the most adaptive and versatile organisms in the universe. They are a backbone of the biosphere and a cornerstone of civilization. Mushrooms have been prized for their flavor, nutrition and medicinal benefit by nearly every culture in human history. Most of all, fungi are the architects of succession, playing vital roles in the continuity of the cycles of life.

The name Fungaia signifies the belief that fungi are some of our greatest allies in the collective quest for prosperity—both our own and that of the living planet we call home.

Fungaia is a full-service, donation-based mushroom culture library and spawn laboratory. Whether you are a hobbyist, horticulturist, permaculturist, an avid mycologist or just a hungry artist, we are here to provide you with consistently vigorous fungus.
A donation-based business, Fungaia is rooted in the principle of open-source mycology. Life is a gift, to be shared. We believe genetics are of the commons, and should be accessible to anyone who is willing to dedicate the time and care to maintain them.

There is nothing in life so precious as life itself. Who is to say what a single seed, or spore, is worth? Its value lies in the possibility of its growth. Alone it is nothing, inert, but given the right opportunity and care, it may yield immeasurable results.

The greatest benefit of the seeds we plant and the spores we liberate is not the fruit we harvest at maturity, but what lies in the acts of caring, tending and nurturing. The messages and lessons we receive in the course of upholding the biotic alliance draw us closer to our shared source, and last much longer than a fine meal or a dose of medicine, as salutary as these may be.

Much of our global economy relies on the monetization of biological processes: everything we buy comes directly or indirectly from the Earth, and in one way or another fungi are employed as the primary biological engines of much of our civilization. In an era of mass extinction, rampant habitat loss, excessive resource extraction, and heavily monetized genetics sciences, it is more important and urgent than ever to establish alternative genetic conservation and distribution models that value vitality, longevity and diversity over profitability.

Despite many recent discoveries and advancements, much of the field of mycology remains shrouded in mystery. Today's novice mushroom enthusiast may well be tomorrow's revolutionary citizen scientist, and it will take a global, collaborative, decentralized movement to avert ecological disaster and secure our collective livelihood.

We walk amid a cornucopia of life, intricately interwoven from vast to minute, macroscopic to microscopic. Even the most noxious parasites show themselves in time to be symbionts in the great cycles of growth, death and rebirth. By treading lightly and dedicating ourselves to the sustenance of these cycles, we also sustain ourselves. But it will be our children who reap the greatest rewards, as they reap our failures also.

Homegrown in Walla Walla, Washington, Fungaia is a small, donation-based mushroom company. Driven by deep passion and a vision for sustainable symbiosis, we believe that fungi can help guide us on a path toward greater personal and environmental health, food security, education, social responsibility, and joy.

Our mission is threefold:

1. to curate and perennially tend a unique and ever-growing mushroom culture library of species valued for their flavor, nutrition, medicinal benefit, ecological significance and genetic identity. We source strains from the wild and other eco-centric mycologists, frequently exploring new species and cultivars, and endeavor to oversee the whole process, from spore to spaghetti, to ensure the utmost integrity of our offerings. We take great care to maintain the genetic vitality of our cultures, raising research and reproductive crops with love in small batches, using only wholesome, organic base materials.
   
   
2. to make the many gifts of fungi accessible to everyone, providing a variety of educational mushroom kits, spawn and cultures by donation to suit each person’s goals, resources, budget and level of experience.
   
   
3. to share the knowledge, inspiration and joy that attends our fungal alliance, providing free educational videos, instructional literature, Q&A sessions, cultivation courses, workshops and other educational engagements.
   
   

"Do-It-Yourself" is not just a method, it's a philosophy. Rooted in the premise that life is what we make, and that a penny saved is a penny earned, the heart of the DIY ethic is self-reliance, ingenuity, moral integrity and a willingness to take risks, and even fail, in the service of growth, self-betterment and innovation.

Candor and creativity are the primary underpinnings of this philosophy, and though often cast as a counter-cultural motif, the creative spirit of the do-it-yourselfer is in fact the true driver of cultural growth. If a simple, economical and self-styled approach to solving complex, systematic problems is indeed revolutionary, then that is a revolution worthy of our credence.

It is no coincidence that mushroom cultivation lends itself perfectly to a thoroughgoing DIY methodology and mindset: fungi are the poster-children of collaboration, creative adaptation and doing more with less. The original do-it-yourselfers, they take up and transmute what's given without pretense or accolade, churning through the limitless leavings of life's interminable advance, layer upon layer, and turning the tailings of one process into the fodder of another.

From our do-it-yourself mushroom kits to our life-long dream of Free School, we live and breathe a collaborative, creative philosophy. By supporting Fungaia, you are helping to foster a broader vision for creative eucation, and even the smallest contributions are instrumental to the long-term sustainability of an alternative, altruistic approach to business. We take an active role in the development and deployment of theories and conceptual models we hope someday to become the basis for an entire economic system, born of compassion, curiosity, stewardship and a singular determination to thrive.