The Mushroom Tree

The Mushroom Tree: A Young Grower Building Something Serious in Elmira

In the small town of Elmira, Ontario, just north of Kitchener-Waterloo, Nicholas Kempel is running a gourmet and medicinal mushroom operation that punches well above its weight. The Mushroom Tree started in a 14-square-metre space in his grandfather's garage and has since grown into a proper production facility, supplying farmers' markets, restaurants, and direct customers across Waterloo Region.

From Garage to Growing Room

Kempel was 21 when CBC covered his operation in 2024, and the trajectory he'd already established by that point was striking. What began as a personal fascination with fungi turned into a legitimate business, one that required him to learn substrate science, climate control, and the particular demands of growing specialty mushrooms in a Canadian climate. He works alongside his friend Ansel Zmuda-Soltis, and together they've built The Mushroom Tree into a recognized name at the St. Jacobs, Stratford, and Keady farmers' markets.

Self-taught mushroom farming is not a path most people would choose. The learning curve is steep, the margins are thin in the early years, and the technical requirements for maintaining consistent growing conditions are demanding. Kempel took that path anyway, and the results speak for themselves.

What Grows at The Mushroom Tree

The operation produces a diverse lineup of gourmet and medicinal varieties. Lion's mane, pink oyster, chestnut, and black pearl king mushrooms all come out of bags filled with sterilized substrate made from soy hulls and oak. Each variety has its own temperature and humidity requirements, its own fruiting timeline, and its own quirks that a grower has to learn through direct experience.

Chestnut mushrooms, with their earthy aroma and mild sweetness, are a standout. Pink oysters bring a meaty, almost seafood-like flavor that chefs in the region have taken to. Black pearl kings offer impressive shelf life, lasting up to a week and a half after harvest, which is a meaningful advantage for both retail and restaurant customers who need product that holds.

The Waterloo Region Advantage

Elmira sits in the heart of Waterloo Region, a community that has historically valued local agriculture and direct farm-to-table connections. The St. Jacobs Farmers' Market, where The Mushroom Tree is a regular vendor, is one of the largest and most respected markets in Ontario. Having a presence there gives Kempel access to customers who understand quality produce and are willing to pay fair prices for it.

The region's restaurant scene has also been growing steadily, and specialty mushroom suppliers are in real demand. Chefs who want fresh lion's mane or pink oyster mushrooms need a local source that can deliver consistent quality on a weekly basis. The Mushroom Tree fills that gap.

Building for the Long Run

What makes The Mushroom Tree notable is not just the quality of the product but the ambition behind it. Kempel started young, started small, and has been scaling methodically. In an industry where most new entrants burn out within the first two years, he's demonstrated the kind of persistence and adaptability that keeps a specialty operation alive.

A perfect 5-star rating is early days, but it reflects the kind of attention to product and customer experience that builds lasting businesses. The Mushroom Tree is still in its growth phase, and the trajectory suggests there's considerably more to come from this Elmira operation.

You can find The Mushroom Tree online at themushroomtree.ca.