Mighty Cap Mushroom Farm Tour

March 28, 2025
by Nan Lippitt

"Tons of fun," said Lucy Jacob about our trip to Mighty Cap Mushrooms in Paso! "I can't wait to taste some of these unique mushrooms".

Owner and founder Chris Batlle could easily be featured on the cover of Inc. Magazine, an organization dedicated to American entrepreneurs. Perhaps he already has! What began as an interest in foraging and passion for mushrooms has become a highly successful business venture. It all began in 2019 when Chris started growing about 5 pounds of mushrooms in his garage on a weekly basis. Five years and two facilities later, he expects to grow at least 3,000 to 4,000 pounds of mushrooms weekly (that would be 2 tons of mushrooms!). He mentioned being thankful to God for his success.

Chris' passion for caps, another name for mushrooms, can be found throughout all aspects of his business. Most commercial mushrooms are grown on conveyer belts in manure. By contrast, his mushrooms are grown in sterile blocks of oak and soy in black-colored plastic bags. The switch to black-colored bags, one of his innovations, has increased productivity by about 20%, which contributes to being a viable entity.

After conducting market studies, Chris focuses on growing high quality artisanal, gourmet mushrooms sold exclusively in San Luis Obispo County. Some of the varieties are: Giant Trumpet, Chestnut, Oyster, Shiitake and Lion's Mane mushrooms. He requires chefs that use his mushrooms to tour the facility. He also sells mushrooms directly to the public at his facility and sells mushroom kits to grow your own exotic mushrooms.

Chris recommends cooking mushrooms rather than eating them raw; this makes their many nutritional benefits more bio-available.

Chris is especially personable, and his tour of Mighty Cap Mushrooms was very interesting.