Meet our Mushroom Growers: Kylie and Matt, Richmond Mushrooms

Most weeks, mushrooms land in your CVO box. And every week, most people don't think too much about where they came from.

We think that's worth changing.

Kylie and Matt O'Reilly run Richmond Mushrooms out of Doonbah NSW, just inland from Evans Head, about 45 minutes south of us here in Yamba. They're the people behind every mushroom that's made it into your box, and their story is one of the most remarkable ones we've come across in this region.

A farm with history and a hell of a story

The Richmond Mushroom Farm has been operating on the same site since 1988. When Kylie and Matt took it over at the end of 2019, it needed work. They spent their first year restoring it, repairing, rebuilding, bringing it back up to speed and planning to grow production by 30 to 40%.

Then, in February 2022, three metres of floodwater tore through the property. It took the farm. It took their house. They spent a terrifying night watching the water rise, lost power early, and ended up on the verandah surrounded by wildlife seeking refuge alongside them.

When the water finally receded almost a week later, what was left Matt described as an "environmental disaster." The cleanup alone took three weeks, with friends, family, trucks and excavators working around the clock.

They could have walked away. They didn't.

Rebuilding smarter

Kylie and Matt made the decision to stay in mushrooms and rebuild differently. After consulting with other growers, they landed on something unconventional: six 40-foot refrigerated shipping containers as grow rooms.

The results have been remarkable. Their power bill is 50 to 70% less than before the flood. The thermal properties of the containers mean they need a fraction of the cooling capacity of their old setup. What started as a practical solution has become a genuinely more sustainable way to farm.

Today Richmond Mushrooms produces 1.5 to 2 tonnes of mushrooms a week, employs five local staff, and delivers fresh six days a week from Yamba to Tweed Heads. The farm is HARPS, Freshcare and Fair Farms certified, and Kylie was recognised as Business Leader of the Year (20 employees or less) at the Richmond Valley Business Awards.

What you're actually eating

Richmond Mushrooms grows white mushrooms from babies through to large flats, picked by hand, packed fresh, and on their way to you as quickly as possible. Freshness is everything to them, and you can taste it.

Kylie's favourite way to eat them? A mushroom burger with blue cheese and cranberry sauce. We're not here to tell you she's wrong.

And if you want to get more out of your mushrooms at home, store them in a paper bag in the fridge, not plastic. It keeps them fresh and lets them breathe. If you can get them in the sun for even 15 to 60 minutes before cooking, their natural vitamin D levels increase significantly. A small thing that makes a real difference.

Next time your mushrooms hit the pan, you'll know exactly whose hands grew them.

Bree x

Richmond Mushrooms, Doonbah NSW. Family owned, locally grown, delivered fresh.

Check them out at https://www.richmondmushrooms.com.au/