More and more consumers are turning on to mushrooms. That's good news for Chester County. Above, a cream of mushroom soup. Find the recipe on

The humble mushroom is becoming more popular as total retail sales for the last year have already risen by over six percent, writes Melissa Shipman for The Packer.

This spells good news for mushroom producers in Kennett Square. According to Kevin Donovan, National Sales Manager for Kennett Square’s Phillip Mushroom Farms, growth is up across the board.

“You’ve got your traditional white mushroom consumption still going up,’ he noted, ”but people are also moving toward the brown mushrooms.”

Part of the reason for this, is the growth in popularity of summer recipes featuring chopped mushrooms such as kabobs as well as the ever increasing range of fresh, dried and frozen mushroom options.

“Many restaurant chains use frozen mushrooms,“ he pointed out “but we’re seeing more and more frozen mushroom products going into retail, too.“

To keep up with this trend, many local producers are ramping up production, but even so, mushroom supply during the different holiday seasons can be tight as producers struggle to keep up. Not only that, but the growing demand for organic mushrooms is also causing supply problems.

“Retailers and suppliers need to work together to ensure good supply with the proper pricing for the consumer and the mushroom grower,“ said Brian Kiniry, vice president of Kennett Square-based Oakshire Mushrooms. “As an industry, we need to be cognizant of trends like organic in the market, but be smart about not reacting without a well-thought-out plan in order to drive consumer satisfaction,”

Read more on the rise in mushroom consumption at The Packer here.