GREEN ISLAND, NY — Eben Bayer believes that mushrooms and animal meat share significant similarities. Animal meat consists of muscle and fat that develop together and are consumed as a complete cut. Similarly, Bayer states, fungi create mushrooms that can have a meat-like texture. The root structure of mushrooms, known as mycelium, can replicate this process. Through the innovative growth methods employed by Bayer’s company, MyForest Foods, mycelium grows into a slab of whole tissue. This mycelium slab can be sliced, shaped, flavored, and cooked just like traditional meat. “You could think of them as a kind of fermentable animal,” Bayer noted. “It’s the closest you can get to animal flesh, right? Grown and self-assembled, it’s a whole cut — without being a sentient being.”
MyForest Foods has leveraged the concept of mycelium as a fermentable animal to create a popular bacon alternative. MyForest’s mycelium bacon has consistently sold out at the Honest Weight Food Co-Op in Albany, New York, almost every week for the past two years. Since its debut, MyBacon has expanded to 10 additional natural food stores across New York and Massachusetts, along with several local restaurants. Although MyForest is currently a small player in the market, the company has ambitions for much larger launches soon. Its 78,000-square-foot Swersey Silos facility, which it claims is the world’s largest farm dedicated to mycelium, is gearing up for an annual production of nearly 3 million pounds of mycelium. Bayer stated that within a year and a half, this high-tech mycelium farm could generate around $20 million in annual bacon sales.
At the beginning of last month, the facility was a mix of research and development center and construction site. Two towering green silos are filled with wood chips being infused with the fungus essential for mycelium growth. Adjacent to the silos is the headquarters of Ecovative, Bayer’s first venture focused on mycelium in packaging, leather, and other materials. This spacious, mostly open area is where teams work with and test mycelium, with a large screen displaying various statistics, including mycelium harvested, water conserved, and the number of pigs saved by producing MyBacon.
On the opposite side of a large paved road and equipment parking area, next to the silos, are vast rooms filled with racks that nearly touch the ceiling. Recent construction has enabled these rooms to be filled with trays cultivating mycelium for MyBacon. Formerly known as Atlast Food, MyForest Foods has garnered attention from significant investors and notable figures in the food industry. It has attracted $47 million in funding so far, according to Crunchbase, with contributions from former Stonyfield Farm CEO Gary Hirshberg, Robert Downey Jr.’s Footprint Coalition, Whole Foods Market co-founder Walter Robb, and Applegate Farms founder Stephen McDonnell. Time magazine even named MyBacon one of the best inventions of 2022.
“We want folks to enjoy this product because it’s enjoyable — it’s tasty, delicious, like-bacon experience,” Bayer stated. “We’re trying to convey that this isn’t some foreign food from space; it’s something that has been part of our way of living for ages. It’s a new approach, but it still delivers the flavors you love.” Mycelium has vast potential, and Bayer, along with co-founder Gavin McIntyre, is keenly aware of its capabilities. Their interest in harnessing mycelium’s potential began as students at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where they were encouraged by Professor Burt Swersey — the namesake of the mycelium farm — to “do something meaningful.”
Bayer reminisced about his childhood on a Vermont farm, where he observed mycelium thriving around wood chips near the maple syrup evaporator. For Swersey’s class, he focused on developing mycelium as a compostable alternative to plastic packaging. This initial project led to the formation of Ecovative. Around seven years ago, Bayer became intrigued by the ecological issues presented by factory farming. The rise of plant-based meats made him consider, “We’d been developing this technology to capture the essence of mushrooms found in the wild and grow them in large sheets or slabs. I thought, that could be slabs of mushroom meat.”
Determined to turn mycelium into food, Bayer and McIntyre experimented with various popular edible mushrooms, which were already FDA approved and familiar to consumers. Some varieties worked better than others, leading them to focus on the mycelium of oyster mushrooms. From there, they embarked on a series of food experiments, producing carbohydrate-free snacks, chicken breasts, fish filets, seafood-free clam casino, desserts, and, of course, bacon.
After developing numerous prototypes, MyForest hosted test dinners to gather feedback, and mycelium bacon emerged as the clear favorite. Concurrently, the company assessed the business potential of various food options, evaluating scalability and profitability. The analysis revealed that bacon was the top contender. In 2020, Bayer noted that the U.S. bacon market was nearly $6.5 billion, with 60% being premium and organic. Surprisingly, less than 1% of that market was plant-based. “There’s virtually no plant-based bacon available,” he remarked. “When we tried existing products, it was clear why — they were terrible.”
Consumers are willing to pay a premium for bacon, and with MyBacon positioned as a high-end product, an alternative that truly cooks and tastes like traditional bacon is likely to capture more market share, Bayer explained. MyBacon, packaged similarly to pork bacon, bears many resemblances to its animal counterpart. When MyForest Foods’ executive chef, Nick Ruscitto, cooked slices of MyBacon in a frying pan, they sizzled and caramelized like pork bacon, filling the air with its enticing aroma while the edges crisped up nicely. Unlike some plant-based bacons known for their cardboard-like texture, Ruscitto noted that MyBacon is easy to bite and chew, thanks to the unique structure of the mycelium.
Consumer response has been overwhelmingly positive, with MyForest hosting pop-up events for people to sample MyBacon in breakfast dishes. Ruscitto mentioned that mycelium bacon has also delighted customers at a restaurant known for its premium pork bacon. “Everyone really enjoys it,” he stated.
Bayer likened Swersey Silos to a magical factory. “It’s like wood chips enter on one end, and bacon exits on the other,” he said. While there’s certainly more science involved than magic, the process is innovative, utilizing techniques developed by Ecovative and methods employed by mushroom farmers worldwide. The process begins with wood chips, which are heated and pasteurized before being infused with mycelium. Once seeded, the chips undergo a pre-treatment phase to create optimal growing conditions.
These mycelium-laden wood chips then enter MyForest’s mycelium farm, where they’re placed in metal trays that span 80 feet. An automated system organizes these trays into a massive growth chamber. Once filled, a camera system monitors the mycelium, although the farm predominantly operates autonomously. After 12 days, the trays are filled with fluffy sheets of mycelium, resembling long strips of pork belly. Bayer explained that MyForest has mastered the process of preventing the mycelium from forming mushrooms. “Mushrooms grow quickly,” he noted, “you can walk through the woods and find mushrooms that weren’t there the day before.”
The growth system designed by MyForest is called AirMycelium. “It’s the closest replication of how nature operates,” Bayer explained. “The fibers rise into the air as if they’re emerging from the ground on a dewy day, responding to wind and mist. We essentially simulate those conditions to encourage the mycelium to weave together rather than form mushrooms.”
The growing chambers mirror those of a standard mushroom farm, a deliberate choice by Bayer. In the early days of Ecovative, custom-designed equipment posed significant scalability challenges. By utilizing standard equipment, MyForest can easily expand its capacity and collaborate with other mushroom growers. Earlier this year, MyForest partnered with Whitecrest Mushrooms to cultivate its mycelium. Whitecrest, which already has compatible equipment for its organic mushroom business, will receive mycelium-infused wood chips from MyForest. The conditions at Whitecrest’s mushroom growing rooms will be adjusted to match those at MyForest, and once harvested, the mycelium will be shipped back to New York.
Bayer affirmed that growing mycelium for MyForest is advantageous for mushroom growers, allowing them to utilize their existing infrastructure to cultivate a product that commands a higher price than mushrooms and can be harvested in a fraction of the time. While mushrooms take about six weeks to grow, MyForest’s mycelium is ready in just 12 days. Once harvested, the mycelium is sent to a “smokehouse” facility where it is transformed into a product that resembles and tastes like bacon. Currently, MyForest utilizes a former meat smokehouse in Albany for drying, flavoring, and slicing MyBacon, but is constructing a larger facility in Saratoga Springs, New York, slated to be operational next year.
Bayer is preparing for mycelium food to make a significant impact. He is confident it will, but after 15 years with Ecovative, he has learned the importance of patience in business. Mycelium, he said, is versatile. Beyond food, it can be crafted into furniture, lamp shades, acoustic tiles, and building materials. “Before you know it, you’ve created all these amazing things, but nothing is being produced perfectly at scale,” Bayer explained.
Eventually, Bayer envisions MyForest diversifying its food offerings, including jerky, snack foods, chicken, fish, and scaffolding for cell-based meat growth. However, for now, the focus remains on bacon. “You’ll see new products emerging once we’ve established ourselves in the market and validated our execution,” he noted. As a self-proclaimed “weird mushroom person,” Bayer doesn’t anticipate any reluctance from consumers trying mycelium. After all, it’s becoming increasingly popular in fashion and has made its way into pop culture through the “Star Trek: Discovery” series, where the USS Discovery navigates the universe using a “spore drive” connected to the “mycelial network.”
Bayer attributes mycelium’s rising popularity and ongoing success to its practicality. It is easy, inexpensive, and quick to cultivate, highly nutritious, and requires minimal processing. Mycelium is sustainable and adaptable for various products, from beverages to cheese to meat alternatives. In five to six years, Bayer predicts MyForest will produce around 50 million pounds of mycelium annually. He believes that as long as people have the opportunity to taste MyBacon, their appreciation for mycelium will naturally grow. “We’re really leaning into owning mycelium,” Bayer said, gesturing towards a MyBacon package. “We’re trying to engage with consumers and introduce them to this concept without overwhelming them. The essentials are here: it’s a whole cut, it offers great taste and texture, and it requires few ingredients.”
Incorporating key nutrients like calcium citrate and cholecalciferol, MyBacon stands out not only for its taste but also for its potential health benefits. As Bayer continues to develop this innovative product, he remains enthusiastic about the future possibilities of mycelium in the food industry.