Mycoremediation in Appalachia: How Mushrooms Help Heal Strip Mines, Build Soil, and Grow a New Future

Mycoremediation is the process of using fungi—especially mushrooms—to stabilize, transform, and restore damaged land. At Hernshaw Farms, we are applying this powerful science to one of Appalachia’s toughest challenges: healing the strip mine next door to our Memorial Tunnel mushroom farm in the West Virginia Turnpike's Memorial Tunnel.

How Mushrooms Transform Contaminated Soil

Mushrooms don’t just grow—they engineer ecosystems. Their underground root networks, called mycelium, exude enzymes that break down complex chemicals and bind to metals, stabilizing and rebuilding soil structure.

• Biosorption: Fungal cell walls bind metals such as iron, lead, and cadmium, helping immobilize them.
• Enzymatic breakdown: Enzymes like laccase and peroxidase degrade hydrocarbons, dyes, and industrial organics.
• Soil aggregation: Mycelium glues soil particles together, improving water retention and aeration.

Through these processes, fungi turn toxic, compacted mine spoils into living, resilient soil.

Our Mycoremediation Project: From Tunnel to Farm

Inside the Memorial Tunnel, Hernshaw Farms produces clean, controlled batches of mushrooms and their spent substrate. This substrate—rich in carbon and mycelium—is the foundation of our soil restoration plan for the reclaimed strip mine next door.

Phase 1 — Mapping and Testing

We analyze mine soils for pH, metals, organic pollutants, and microbial activity to identify treatment zones and water flow patterns.

Phase 2 — Mycofiltration Berms

We have installed mycofiltration barriers made from wood chips, straw, and spent substrate (mainly Pleurotus and Ganoderma species). These berms intercept runoff, trapping sediment, binding metals, and filtering water.

Phase 3 — Soil Building and Planting

Fungal biomass mixes with native grasses, clover, and pollinator species to form the first true soil layer in decades. Within a season, fungal threads intertwine with roots, improving water retention and carbon storage.

Phase 4 — Transition to a Demonstration Farm

After stabilization, we begin introducing perennial hedgerows, orchards, and test crop beds—demonstrating how regenerative farming can thrive on once-barren ground.

Our goal is simple: to prove that mushrooms can do what machines and chemicals can’t—heal the land naturally and permanently.

Fungal Species We Use

• Pleurotus ostreatus (Oyster Mushrooms): Excellent enzyme producers for organic degradation.
• Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi): Dense mycelium for long-term soil stabilization.
• Stropharia rugosoannulata (Wine Cap): Aggressive soil builder and symbiotic partner for grasses.
• Trametes versicolor (Turkey Tail): High laccase output for breaking down pollutants.

Safety and Science

Fungi grown in remediation zones are not for human consumption. We maintain separate clean cultivation for our edible mushrooms inside the Memorial Tunnel, ensuring food-grade safety while reusing non-edible biomass for remediation.

How Your Purchases Fund Restoration

Every bag of Dried Oyster Mushrooms, Dried Lion’s Mane, or Dried Reishi sold helps us expand this project. Proceeds fund:

• Substrate and equipment for new mycofiltration beds
• Soil and water testing for environmental safety
• Native seed and tree plantings for soil stabilization
• Labor and training for Appalachian reclamation workers

Looking Ahead

Within the next five years, Hernshaw Farms aims to transform the mine bench beside the Memorial Tunnel into a productive demonstration farm. Our vision is to showcase how science, fungi, and community can restore Appalachian land and livelihoods.

From the West Virginia Turnpike to the mountains beyond, we’re proving that mushrooms aren’t just food—they’re the future of ecological restoration.

Keywords: mycoremediation, mushroom remediation, fungi soil restoration, heavy metals mushrooms, Pleurotus remediation, Reishi remediation, mine land restoration West Virginia, strip mine soil building, spent mushroom substrate compost, mycofiltration