Unionville Mushrooms Farm

Unionville Mushrooms Farm: Family-Grown in the Heart of Markham

At 5395 19th Avenue in Markham, Ontario, Unionville Mushrooms Farm operates one of the more diverse mushroom growing operations in the Greater Toronto Area. Family-owned and focused on both growing and distributing fresh mushrooms, the farm has built a 4.7-star reputation across 42 reviews.

The Variety Question

Where Unionville Mushrooms distinguishes itself is in the breadth of what they grow. Their lineup spans white button mushrooms, cremini, portobello, shiitake, king oyster, enoki, and oyster mushrooms. That is a genuinely wide range for a single farm operation.

Each of those varieties requires different growing conditions. White buttons, cremini, and portobello are all the same species — Agaricus bisporus — harvested at different stages of maturity. Shiitake is a wood-loving species that grows on hardwood logs or supplemented sawdust blocks. King oyster and regular oyster mushrooms are aggressive colonizers that fruit in cooler temperatures. Enoki is its own particular challenge, grown in tall, narrow containers and preferring cool conditions.

Managing all of these under one roof requires real cultivation knowledge. The temperature, humidity, air exchange, light, and substrate requirements vary enough between species that a facility growing all seven is essentially running multiple distinct growing programs simultaneously.

Family Ownership and Direct Sales

Unionville Mushrooms operates as a family-owned business, which in the mushroom industry often means the people growing the mushrooms are the same people selling them. That direct connection between grower and customer is reflected in their 4.7-star rating.

The farm handles both growing and distribution, which means they are not just supplying their own retail customers but also moving product to other outlets. This dual role — grower and distributor — is common among mid-sized mushroom operations in the GTA.

Markham's Mushroom Market

The farm's location in Markham is significant. The city has one of the most diverse food cultures in Canada, with a population that includes large East Asian communities where mushroom consumption is not a trend but a deeply rooted culinary tradition. Shiitake, king oyster, enoki, and oyster mushrooms are everyday ingredients in Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and Vietnamese cooking. A farm that can supply these varieties fresh and local has a built-in market that understands quality and will pay for freshness.

Growing in the GTA

Operating a mushroom farm within the boundaries of the Greater Toronto Area comes with challenges that rural operations do not face. Land costs are higher. Municipal regulations can be more restrictive. But the advantages are significant — proximity to the market means shorter delivery times and fresher product.

Unionville Mushrooms has navigated these tradeoffs well enough to sustain a family operation that grows seven distinct mushroom varieties and distributes them across the region.