More room for mushrooms: grower expands operations to meet demand

From: Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency

News release

Rural business will increase production and create more jobs while going greener

May 29, 2024 · Debert, Nova Scotia · Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA)

In Nova Scotia, an innovative agri-food business is growing – and it’s providing more than food.

Maritime Gourmet Mushrooms Inc. is also cultivating jobs and a greener future. At its flagship farm in Great Village, the company grows and harvests exotic mushrooms for retail. Additionally, it supplies ready-to-bloom substrate - a wood-based nutrient block on which indoor mushrooms are grown - to clients across Atlantic Canada, Quebec, Ontario and the northeastern United States. It’s part of the vital agri-food sector that provides fresh, healthy food to Atlantic Canadians, while supporting farmers, contributing to food stability, and strengthening rural economies.

Big demand for a small business

Today, the Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development and Minister responsible for ACOA, announced a repayable contribution of $950,000 to help Maritime Gourmet Mushrooms Inc. expand, automate and adopt cleaner energy.

The company is building a second facility in Debert, Nova Scotia which will triple production of fresh mushrooms and substrate to keep up with customer orders. ACOA’s support will help the company purchase and install specialized equipment at the new facility, such as an automated bagger, a high pressure steam boiler and robotic arms. The contribution will also help purchase solar panels, moving the company closer to its goal of using only renewable energy sources. The new facility will allow Maritime Gourmet Mushrooms Inc. to double its current workforce which will create new jobs in the community.

Today’s announcement further demonstrates the Government of Canada’s commitment to help rural businesses and communities grow and thrive by supporting sustainable agriculture, innovation and job creation.

Quotes

“Rural agri-food businesses like Maritime Gourmet Mushrooms Inc. aren’t just growing crops; they’re nurturing communities, creating local jobs, and cultivating a sustainable future, one harvest at a time. By supporting projects like this one, your federal government is helping companies build and maintain green supply chains – moving Canada closer to its net-zero emissions goals while fostering prosperity for Canadians from coast, to coast, to coast.”
-      The Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development and Minister responsible for ACOA

“Maritime Gourmet Mushrooms Inc. grows fresh and healthy products for folks right across Atlantic Canada, while boosting the local economy. I’m so pleased that our government is supporting a business that is committed to using cutting-edge, clean technologies, and this new investment will help them expand production and make their operations even more sustainable.”
-       The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food

“Our government is committed to growing local food production here in Nova Scotia. Innovative, agricultural businesses like Maritime Gourmet Mushrooms are exactly what we need to feed that growth. Mushrooms can be a tasty and nutritious part of our diets and we’re proud to support sustainable companies like these that can play an important role in our province’s food security and economy.”
-     Greg Morrow, Nova Scotia Minister of Agriculture

“It is critically important to have organizations like ACOA that promote and support business development in the Atlantic Provinces. Repayable funding and belief in our business from ACOA helps propel our business forward and create more opportunities for Maritimers.”
-      Jason Giffin, President and Owner of Maritime Gourmet Mushrooms Inc.

Quick facts

  • Founded in 2014, Maritime Gourmet Mushrooms Inc. specializes in cultivating 11 types of fresh mushrooms such as oyster and shiitake, and including exotic varieties like lion’s mane, cinnamon cap and hen of the woods. Their mushrooms are sold in farmers’ markets, and to restaurants and specialty retailers. The company also provides consultation services to other exotic mushroom farms in Canada and the U.S.

  • The company partners with local businesses to participate in a circular economy, supporting a local green supply chain. Maritime Gourmet Mushrooms Inc. grows its mushrooms on agricultural and forestry bi-products, such as sawdust from local timber mills. Spent mushroom compost is then sold to local farms and gardeners as a soil amendment.

  • As announced in March 2024, Maritime Gourmet Mushrooms Inc. will receive up to $1 million under Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Agricultural Clean Technology (ACT) Program – Adoption Stream to install solar panels and other clean technologies.

  • In the last two years, Maritime Gourmet Mushrooms received just over $188,000 from the Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture through various programs to support food safety planning and equipment to make operations more efficient.  They also received $210,000 from Dalhousie University under the Clean Technologies for Agriculture Program for insulated cooler panels. 

  • The funding announced today is provided through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency’s (ACOA) Regional Economic Growth through Innovation fund.

Related products

Contacts

Connor Burton
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Rural Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
Connor.Burton@acoa-apeca.gc.ca

Lauren Sinclair
Director of Communications
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
782-641-6365
Lauren.Sinclair@acoa-apeca.gc.ca

Jason Giffin
President and Owner
Maritime Gourmet Mushrooms Inc.
902-809-5253
MaritimeGourmet@gmail.com

Stay connected

Follow ACOA on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.

Page details

Date modified: