Host Haley Nagasaki (Garden Culture Magazine) talks with industry OG Steven Gallo—inventor of CubeCaps (2007) and now mushroom grower—about scaling gourmet fungi in Farm Anywhere container farms and launching the Lion’s Mane Steak Company.IN THIS EPISODE• Why containers: hyperlocal, year-round production with tight environmental control • CubeCaps origin story: reducing water & fertilizer use across grow systems • Cultivation nuts & bolts: sawdust + soy hull substrate, grain spawn, ~60% moisture • Fruiting timelines: blue oysters in ~7–9 days; lion’s mane in ~11–14 once in the container • Dialing the room: ~19 °C average, 85–87% RH, simple 12/12 LEDs, remote monitoring (TrolMaster) • Varieties grown: lion’s mane, blue/grey/yellow/pink oysters, king oysters, chestnut • Food innovation: lion’s mane “steaks,” king oyster “bacon,” oyster “chicken” strips, crab cakes • Certifications: GlobalG.A.P. via Ecocert; organic certification in progress • Distribution reality: perishability, freezing/marinating for service; currently Quebec-focused • Home-grow tips: bucket-and-straw hacks, ready-to-fruit bags, and what’s worth it for beginners • Regeneration: spent blocks boosting garden beds—and fruiting againFIND STEVE• Instagram: @cubecap • Sites: cubecap.ca | lionsmainsteak.ca (as shared in the chat) | farmanywhere.ag | farmsmart.caAbout the show: Professional Point of View spotlights growers, makers, and innovators shaping modern cultivation. Subscribe for more conversations from Garden Culture Magazine.#Mushrooms #LionsMane #OysterMushrooms #ContainerFarming #VerticalFarming #UrbanAg #Quebec #PlantBased #Vegan #FoodTech #ControlledEnvironmentAgriculture #FarmAnywhere #CubeCap #GardenCulture

Haley Nagasaki sits down with cultivator Genevieve Newton for a grounded, on-the-field look at scaling outdoor cannabis with quality and culture. From smudging on Indigenous Peoples Day to fixing tractors and riding out heat, wind, and rain, Genevieve shares how she’s building a resilient, team-first program at Mera Cannabis’ Countryside Farm in southern Ontario.What you’ll learn:• Outdoor at scale: in-ground vs. 35-gal pots, hoop houses, and irrigation cadence • Clone logistics: rooting 35K waves, acclimation, and keeping losses near 1–5% • Weathering extremes: transplant shock, wind prep, staggered planting/harvest to dodge mold • Simple wins: silica under heat stress, mulching fabric pots, practical IPM, and crop scouting • Career arc: from social work to six legal facilities and Top Grower recognition • Culture & ceremony: smudging in the field, women in cultivation, and why homegrow stays core#ProfessionalPOV #OutdoorCannabis #Cultivation #LivingSoil #WomenInCannabis #GardenCultureMagazine

Alexandre Gauthier, VP of R&D at Quebec LP Origine Nature, is an award-winning cannabis cultivator and world-renowned cannabis expert from Montreal. Here's his take on indoor Integrated Pest Management (IPM) applications for Garden Culture Magazine's latest series, Professional POV.Hosted by Haley Nagasaki, Strategist at Garden Culture Magazine.00:00 – Introduction01:02 – Systems in place at Origine Nature 03:37 – The three-tiered firewall approach 08:00 – Horror stories/lessons learned 10:55 – Controls for the home grower12:20 – Trap plants in the home grow 15:11 – Reasons not to use chemicals 18:40 – There is no secret but hard work 19:35 – Leveraging AI in the cannabis grow22:40 – Easy fungus gnat fix25:15 – Conclusion