12/19/2025
Food Professor Sylvian Charlebois and Michael LeBlanc Host Mushrooms Canada on Agriculture Workforce and Affordable Food for Canadians
In-depth interview with Ryan Koeslag, Executive Vice President & CEO of Mushrooms Canada, joined by Janet Krayden, Workforce Specialist at Mushrooms Canada. Together, they provide a rare inside look at one of Canada’s most technologically advanced yet frequently misunderstood agricultural sectors. Listeners learn that Canadian mushrooms are grown 365 days a year, supply nearly 100% of domestic grocery demand, and export approximately 40% of production to the United States—all while operating with largely organic practices and world-class automation...
WATCH FULL Food Professor episode here: Top 10 Food Stories of 2025 and guests Ryan Koeslag & Janet Krayden, Mushrooms Canada • Top 10 Food Stories of 2025 and guests Rya... ...
A central focus of the discussion is labour. Ryan Koeslag and Janet Krayden explain that mushroom farming is non-seasonal, capital-intensive, and highly technical, yet still dependent on skilled human labour for harvesting. Recent changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, combined with the cancellation of the Agri-Food Immigration Pilot, have created significant unintended consequences for growers, threatening productivity, workforce stability, and long-term investment.
The conversation also explores sustainability and innovation, highlighting Canada’s leadership in mushroom automation, organic growing methods, and environmental stewardship. Krayden emphasizes that farmers are strong advocates for worker well-being and housing—an aspect often overlooked in public debate.
The episode closes with forward-looking commentary on 2026, including front-of-package labelling, AI-driven pricing ethics, and the ongoing challenge of scaling Canada’s “unscalable middle” in food processing—making this episode both a reflective year-end review and a practical roadmap for the year ahead.
• Mushrooms Canada Jobs webpage https://mushrooms.ca/mushroom-jobs/
• Mushrooms Canada
• Recipes https://mushrooms.ca/recipes/
• Nutrition Page: https://mushrooms.ca/nutritional-bene...
• Quality farm worker housing Highline campus in Leamington: / 1cnj4h8dgz
• MORE high quality mushroom farm worker housing offered in Ontario for our farm workers • A Tour of Mushroom Farm Employer Housing