About us
Here you can read a little about the oyster mushrooms at Skyttegården
Skyttegården – a family business
The Danish family business Skyttegårdens Østershatte has existed as a nursery since 1983, when married couple Jan and Neel Matthiesen started production. The nursery specializes in the cultivation of oyster mushrooms and can be found in Borup in Central Zealand.
The story of Skyttegården starts back in the early 1980s: Jan and Neel began experimenting with growing oyster mushrooms in their own home. Before the couple set their hearts and souls to the task, no one in Denmark had ever successfully started a real production of oyster mushrooms.
They therefore had to draw on knowledge from other European mushroom farmers in the development of production methods. As a result, the machines that today form the framework for oyster mushroom production at Skyttegården were invented and developed by the family themselves. As their knowledge and experience grew and production developed, they moved to larger premises – the same premises that today house the mushroom farm in Borup.
In 2021, Morten Søgaard and Karina Øer took over Skyttegårdens Østershatte, which they ran until November 2022, when Michael Strøm Petersen bought the business. Michael is also known as Læsø (because that’s where he was born). Today he lives in Stubberup with Trine and their 2 children.
Sponge bag
Today, the production of fresh oyster mushrooms has expanded with a grow-it-yourself kit. A mushroom bag that is made in the same way as the bags used in production – just on a smaller scale. The mushroom bag is made to fit perfectly in the vegetable garden, on the balcony, in the garden or wherever you want it to be.
In our webshop you can buy the mushroom bag, which also makes a great gift idea. And when no more mushrooms grow from the bag after a year, the contents can be used as the perfect fertilizer for your herb garden or window box.
With the Mushroom Bag, you can harvest your own organic oyster mushrooms all year round. It can be placed inside or outside and requires no watering. The oyster mushrooms grow best at 18°C, but if the temperature gets too high or low, it will simply go dormant. It can also tolerate frost, and will only wake up again when the temperature gets warmer. Under optimal conditions, the mushroom bag will be active for up to 1 year and give off about 3-5 burps.
Order your very own sponge bag here.
The mushroom bag is ideal for both beginners and more experienced mushroom growers. As the mushroom bag is made from the same mix used for production at Skyttegården, they are constantly tested and quality is guaranteed.
Sustainable production
Since Skyttegårdens Østershatte was founded, the nursery has focused on sustainability and ecology and has therefore never used artificial fertilizers or pesticides in their production of oyster mushrooms. The focus on making production fully organic paid off in 2014, when Skyttegårdens Østershatte received the red Ø-label.
The mushrooms are grown on straw that has been processed with nothing more than water and fungal mycelium. When the straw can no longer produce mushrooms, a local organic farmer benefits from the “used” straw, which is spread over the farmer’s fields with crops. The processing of the straw makes it highly suitable as an environmentally friendly fertilizer.
This can also be copied on your own mushroom bag. When the mushroom bag no longer produces oyster mushrooms, you can use the straw in potted plants and in the garden as an excellent fertilizer. Skyttegården is very proud to be able to offer a circular product and thus minimize the environmental footprint.
Visit Skyttegårdens Østershatte on Facebook here and on Instragram here @skyttegaardensoestershatte.
