ABOUT US
Mikael & Eilís Galvez, are passionate fungi advocates. They strongly believe in the power of fungi and its holistic healing potentials.
They enjoy sharing the science of growing mushrooms, sharing the medicinal benefits of each species and more than anything, they love to hear people's successful healing stories.
The farmers specialize in rare species that are renowned worldwide for their distinctive flavors, therapeutic properties, and striking aesthetics.
At the core of Gaelic Fungi Farm's philosophy is a commitment to providing the people with mushrooms that are 100% Irish and organically grown. With an unwavering dedication to sustainable and environmentally conscious practices, the Galvez couple strive to create a product that not only delights the palate but also nourishes the mind, body and earth.
THE FARM
The farm’s selection of gourmet mushrooms are grown in a carefully controlled indoor environment, based in the heartlands of County Carlow. It consists of a laboratory; where the mushrooms cultures are inoculated into the substrate bags, an incubation room; where the mycelium grows throughout the substrate bag in warm dark space, and a grow room; which is a refurbished 20ft shipping container that provides light, and plenty of moisture that allows the mushrooms to thrive.
Growing indoors in this way allows us to grow exotic species from around the world, all year round!
The organic substrate used to grow the mushrooms on, is a mixture of:
(i) Native Irish hardwood sawdust, sourced from a local sawmill.
(ii) Soy hull; a byproduct of the soy bean industry.
(iii) Straw
Mushrooms thrive on this blend. It is important to us that we optimize what would otherwise be waste products from other industries and use them to grow delicious & nutritious gourmet mushrooms.
1.
The substrate is hydrated with filtered water and mixed well.
2.
The substrate is bagged up in special grow bags that allows for sufficient air exchange, then taken to the farm lab to be sterilized. There, they are carefully inoculated with our mushroom grain spawn in a sterile environment. The inoculated bags are sealed & left in the incubation room for
2-3 weeks.
3.
Once the bags are fully colonized with mycelium, they are transported into our fruiting room - this is where the magic happens! In 2 weeks we see large beautiful clusters of mushrooms growing before our eyes.
They are then carefully handpicked and sold directly to our customers at our
local farmers market. Straight from farm to fork.
All our mushrooms are 100% Irish grown & produced from spore to fruiting bodies on our farm.
THE MUSHROOM GROWING PROCESS
MEET THE GROWERS
Michael
I was born and raised on California's central coast - a region with a deep-rooted history in argiculture and fresh food production for the entire United States. Growing uo in a traditional household, I developed a strong connection to the land, guided b the values of stewardship, respect, and working in harmony with nature.
Years later, I moved to San Francisco Bay Area to pursue my passion for music. That creative journey eventually led me into the cannabis industry, where I gained a profound appreciation for how plants grow, heal, and positively impact people's lives.
My personal interest in anthropology, archaeology, and ethnobotany deepened this connection. I began exploring cultural traditions - including those from my own heritage - and the long standing relationships between people and plants for both medicinal and spiritual purposes.
Naturally, this path brought me to mushrooms. Their complexity. intelligence, and healing potential captured my curiosity and respect. wHat started as a passion, quickly evolved into my calling; working with fungi, learning their properties, and honoring their role in ancestral and modern wellness practices.
My Grandmothers - and the Native American traditions they passed down to me - taught me that plants are more than food and medicine. They are teachers, allies, and carriers of wisdom. This belief lives at the heart of everything I do.
Eilís
My journey with fungi began in a tiny closet in our Oakland apartment — but it really started the summer I met Michael in San Francisco. I had just moved to California, following a deepening interest in birth care and traditional healing herbs. As my fascination with natural medicine grew, so did our shared curiosity for the mysterious power of mushrooms.
When our first son was born, I chose to stay home, and that’s when the real growing began — literally. I started cultivating medicinal mushrooms in that tiny space, turning our little apartment into a makeshift lab and sanctuary. Michael would bring the harvest to friends and clients at the cannabis club, and soon our side project began to sprout into something much bigger.
Eventually, we felt a strong pull to bring our mushrooms home to Ireland — where this kind of cultivation just didn’t exist. No one was growing or crafting mushroom medicine the way we were, and we wanted to change that. We also wanted to raise our children on the land, close to nature, and fully rooted in a lifestyle that felt connected and whole. So we left the city behind and returned to Ireland, where Gaelic Fungi Farms officially took root in 2020 — a 100% Irish-grown, family-run dream come to life.
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