North Spore

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North Spore Mushroom Cultivation, Foraging, and Education What began as a love for mushroom foraging has developed into an obsession with all things fungi.

Our mission is to provide access to the mycological world through innovative mushroom cultivation, spawn production, and research. North Spore is the brainchild of three college friends with an admiration for all things related to the mycological world. That passion for foraging has evolved over time: these days any of us are likely to be found in our cultivation rooms growing oyster mushrooms, shiitakes, lion's mane, chestnut mushroom, king trumpets, and pioppinos, or tincturing the myriad medicinal polypores that grow in the Maine woods. Maybe we are at Fork Food Lab in Portland sautéing sh*takes with mirin and tamari; or perhaps it's the dried porcinis and chanterelles from our last mushroom walk that are taking the stage. North Spore produces 100% of the spawn used at its facility and also makes sawdust, plug, and grain spawn for other commercial and enthusiast growers. We take our commercial spawn customer's needs seriously and are fortunate to have both a mycologist with a Master's Degree in the field and a trained lab technician overseeing our in-house laboratory, culture bank, and spawn production. Regardless of whether we are sharing our favorite mushroom dishes, our knowledge of mushroom foraging and cultivation, or simply our overwhelming admiration for this often overlooked biological kingdom, we are striving to be a community hub for fungi enthusiasts; a place where people learn to love mushrooms as we do.

10/09/2026

Can oysters grow on something they're not supposed to? We sent a Boomr Bin to Mycrodex find out!

Oyster mushrooms usually prefer a more woody-based substrates since they love breaking down lignin. But they're also famously aggressive, and as long as there's a water source, they'll find a way to grow. So this experiment pairs oyster grain spawn with CVG, a coco coir, vermiculite, and gypsum blend that's pretty nutrient neutral and resists contamination.

The method is a giant mycelium sandwich: layers of spawn and CVG that keep the mycelium moist and protected while it colonizes. Filter patches go on top to shield against contamination while still allowing gas exchange. Once fruiting starts, the Mycro Mister takes over to keep conditions dialed in!

Start your experiments here: https://northspore.com/pages/limited-time-offers

Video by Mycrodex

Up to six in ten patients on platinum-based chemotherapy develop chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), a bu...
10/08/2026

Up to six in ten patients on platinum-based chemotherapy develop chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), a burning, numbing nerve pain that can outlast treatment itself. A new study in Science found that giving mice as few as two doses of psilocybin before chemo durably prevented CIPN across as many as six chemotherapy cycles, without reducing the drugs' anti-tumor effects. The protection ran through the brain's 5-HT2A serotonin receptor and appeared to keep mitochondria, the cell's power plants, moving along nerve fibers that chemo normally starves of energy. Even more striking, a non-hallucinogenic compound that hits the same receptor reproduced the benefit, hinting that the "trip" may not be required. This is early, preclinical work in animals, but it reframes a common side effect as something that might be prevented rather than simply endured.

Read the research here: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1141995

10/07/2026

Growing enoki at home is easier than you think! A bin gives your mushrooms a stable, protected space with the cool, moist conditions enoki loves!

That simplicity is where our fruiting blocks really shine! Your block arrives already colonized with enoki mycelium, so all you have to do is trigger it to fruit. Cut an X in the side or top and place it in your Boomr Bin. Keep humidity around 90% to 100% and the temperature around 45-65°F | 7-18°C. Enoki may take 2–3 weeks from initiation to harvest.

Keeping your block in the Boomr Bin will give it a good chance of fruiting again. Most enoki blocks will give you two to three flushes before they're spent!

Have you grown enoki yet?

10/06/2026

Grocery store mushrooms ❌ Home-grown mushrooms ✅

Setup is simple. Cover the lid holes with the filter patches, leaving the two side holes open. Mount the fresh air exchange fan over the large hole and secure it. Fill the humidifier, set it above or below your tub to prevent leaks, and connect the hose to the side of the bin with the suction cup clip holding it in place. Feed the humidity sensor through a small cut in the opposite filter patch, plug the humidifier into the controller, and plug the controller into the wall.

Last tip: keep your tub out of direct sunlight in a spot with steady temperatures, and let the system do the rest. That is it!

Get started while they’re on sale here: https://northspore.com/pages/limited-time-offers

Somewhere in that dead phone in your junk drawer sits a sliver of gallium, a rare metal essential to LEDs and semiconduc...
10/03/2026

Somewhere in that dead phone in your junk drawer sits a sliver of gallium, a rare metal essential to LEDs and semiconductors, and German researchers think a humble black mold might be the greenest way to get it back out.

They engineered Aspergillus niger, the same fungus long used industrially to make citric acid, to ferment large batches of oxalic acid, a natural organic acid potent enough to dissolve metals out of electronic waste. In bioreactor trials, the team pushed oxalic acid output to more than three times their own shake-flask benchmarks, a real step toward replacing the harsh synthetic acids that currently dominate e-waste metal recovery.

It's early-stage process engineering rather than a finished recycling solution, but it's a solid reminder that some of the most promising circular-economy tools are quite literally growing in a flask. We'll be watching to see whether this fermented acid gets tested on real electronic waste next.

Read the research here: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00253-026-14040-4

Join our community of mushroom growers here: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1DdXPCfjQq/

Fall is one of the best times to inoculate shiitake logs, and October gives you a good window across most of the US. Cut...
10/02/2026

Fall is one of the best times to inoculate shiitake logs, and October gives you a good window across most of the US.

Cut oak or sugar maple logs once the leaves start dropping, when the wood holds the most stored sugar, then drill, plug with spawn, and seal each hole with wax. Stack your logs in a shady spot and let the mycelium settle in over the cooler months. It's slow work, but by next year you could be pulling your first flush of shiitake off wood you prepped this fall - and logs will reward you for several years!

Learn how to get started here: https://northspore.com/collections/log-growing-supplies

Photo by customer Gerald

Join us on the trails at Pineland Farms in October! This coming month we have many opportunities to get outside and enjo...
10/02/2026

Join us on the trails at Pineland Farms in October! This coming month we have many opportunities to get outside and enjoy some recreation. From leisurely walks to energenic hikes during the day or under moon come along and experience the season.

Women’s Hike – Sunday, October 4 from 9:00am-10:30am
https://shop.pinelandfarms.org/collections/all-classes-events/products/womens-hike
$7/person

Mushroom Identification Walk with – Saturday, October 10 from 10:00am-12:00pm
https://shop.pinelandfarms.org/collections/all-classes-events/products/mushroom-identification-walk
$40/person

Full Moon Hike – Monday, October 26 from 6:30pm-8:30pm
https://shop.pinelandfarms.org/collections/all-classes-events/products/full-moon-hike-1
$10/person

StoryWalk – every Monday in October from 10:00am-11:00am
https://shop.pinelandfarms.org/collections/all-classes-events/products/storywalk
Free with pre-registration

Please check https://pinelandfarms.org/ for weather related cancelations.

Today marks our full launch in Europe - everything is live, and BoomRoom and Boomr Bin orders ship in 1-3 business days....
10/01/2026

Today marks our full launch in Europe - everything is live, and BoomRoom and Boomr Bin orders ship in 1-3 business days.

We couldn't have done this without our incredible partners: in Belgium for locally grown organic fruiting blocks, in Germany for bringing the Boomr Bin and BoomRoom to the German mushroom community, and .permacultueur in France for sharing his passion for growing with his incredible audience.

Check out our EU store!

09/30/2026

Growing mushrooms outside used to depend on where you live - not so much anymore!

Whether you're dealing with desert heat, coastal fog, or a short northern season, the MycoSphere gives your mushrooms a protected space with the humidity, shade, and shelter they need to thrive. It's a raised bed built just for mushrooms, with automatic misting and interchangeable covers to protect from weather and pests.

You can tuck Plant & Grow Blocks into the soil, stand logs upright, or set a MushBucket inside and let it fruit. Mix them all together if you want, right alongside your favorite veggies.

Set it up once, dial in the timer, and spend your time doing the fun part: harvesting!

Video by Sara on the Farm

To our friends in the EU: Lion's Mane is one of the most fascinating mushrooms on the planet. It’s protected in the wild...
09/29/2026

To our friends in the EU:

Lion's Mane is one of the most fascinating mushrooms on the planet. It’s protected in the wild across parts of Europe, studied for its effects on memory and nerve regeneration, and nearly impossible to find fresh.

But you can grow it at home easily and reliably with an automated Boomr Bin or BoomRoom and organic blocks from our friends La Mycosphère in Belgium.

Now’s your LAST chance to save 15% on grow chambers: https://northspore.com/en-eu

À nos amis dans l'UE :

Le Lion's Mane est l'un des champignons les plus fascinants au monde. Il est protégé dans la nature dans certaines parties de l'Europe, étudié pour ses effets sur la mémoire et la régénération nerveuse, et presque impossible à trouver frais.

Mais vous pouvez le cultiver facilement et de manière fiable à la maison avec un Boomr Bin ou BoomRoom automatisé et des blocs biologiques de nos amis La Mycosphère en Belgique.

Notre pré-commande EU se termine bientôt: https://northspore.com/en-eu

An unsere Freunde in der EU:

Der Igelstachelbart ist einer der faszinierendsten Pilze der Welt. In Teilen Europas ist er in der Natur geschützt, wird für seine Wirkung auf Gedächtnis und Nervenregeneration erforscht und ist frisch kaum zu finden.

Aber mit einem automatisierten Boomr Bin oder BoomRoom und Bio-Blöcken von unseren Freunden La Mycosphère aus Belgien könnt ihr ihn ganz einfach und zuverlässig zu Hause anbauen.

Unser EU-Vorbestellungszeitraum endet bald: https://northspore.com/en-eu

Address

921 Riverside Street
Portland, ME
04103

Telephone

+12073520264

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