Kalasungay, MALAYBALAY CITY---Young farmers and agripreneurs Bong and Ted Quemado of Mushroom City is set to open their newest business venture in their farm through Mushroom Café.

A taste test and sensory evaluation of their food offering, based from their oyster and shitake mushrooms, was organized by the brothers to serve customers and their farm visitors a number of healthy food and snack items, aside from their popular Mushroom Chicharons.

“We have noticed that a lot of our farm visitors would inquire if we offer food, and that if they can dine in, since our training hall often gets mistaken as a dining area. Some would suggest after taking pictures in our farm, that it would be great if we offer food even if it is just mushroom burger or coffee just like in Tagaytay. Luckily, we were helped by food tech students in creating our menu. This is also to give people idea the many ways they can do with their mushroom produce. On the business side, putting up a café is another avenue for us to create more revenue streams and therefore employ more workers here in our farm”, said Ted.

Among the dishes and food items served during the food testing and sampling include mushroom tocino, mushroom buffalo, mushroom honey garlic, mushroom barbecue, mushroom sweet and sour, mushroom teriyaki, gravy-glazed mushroom patty, mushroom alfredo, classic mushroom burger, special mushroom burger, mushroom tartlets, mushroom bavarian, and veggie mushroom toast which was developed and prepared by the Food Technology interns of the University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines (USTP).

“Na-appreciate kaayo nako ang espesyal nga imbitasyon sa Mushroom City, sa ilang gipahigayon nga food tasting para puhon i-serve sa ilang bag-ong cafè sa umaabot nga bulan. Ug tuod man, lamian kaayo ang mga putahe nga among natilawan. Highly recommended! Busa ayaw kalimot og bisita sa Mushroom City, sa Barangay Kalasungay. Lami na ang mga pagkaon, daghan pa ta makat-onan mahitungod sa pagpatubo ug mushrooms, ug unsaon para kini mahimong negosyo”, posted Councilor Niko Aldeguer on his Facebook account.

Guests and participants present during the event were from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Councilor Brian Flores and staff, Councilor Nikko Aldeguer and staff, CMU-TBI, BUKSU-TBI, DOST- NOMMCARD, social media influencer Jared Ace Cadavos, representatives from the City Agriculture Office, and the Provincial Agriculture Office.

Mushroom City is one of the certified Learning Site for Agriculture (LSA) partners of the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) in Northern Mindanao, their Mushroom Café is slated to open on Wednesday, September 14, 2022.