126. Sizzling Success: Eben Bayer of MyForest Foods on Scaling Mycelium Magic

Karl and Erum reconnect with Eben Bayer, Board Chair at MyForest Foods, for a compelling follow-up conversation on the evolution of mycelium-based food products. Eben dives deep into the scaling journey of MyBacon, a plant-based bacon alternative created through solid-state fermentation using gourmet mushroom mycelium. From early experiments producing just six packs a week to now operating at multiple farms across North America and Europe, Eben outlines the technical, economic, and operational hurdles his team has overcome. Listeners will discover how MyForest Foods is pioneering a distributed, farm-based manufacturing model and why MyBacon is outpacing pork bacon in select markets. If you're curious about biomaterials, novel fermentation tech, or the practical future of sustainable food systems, this episode offers a front-row seat to the revolution.

Grow Everything brings the bioeconomy to life. Hosts Karl Schmieder and Erum Azeez Khan share stories and interview the leaders and influencers changing the world by growing everything. Biology is the oldest technology. And it can be engineered. What are we growing?

Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.messaginglab.com/groweverything⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

Chapters:

• 00:00:00 - Liftoff! Imagining the Future with Space Elevators
• 00:00:15 - Back in Action: Your Favorite Bio-Futurists Return
• 00:00:31 - Erum’s Arctic Escape: Sauna Talks & Synbio Dreams
• 00:02:27 - Biotech Bonding: Unexpected Encounters in the North
• 00:04:39 - From Lava Fields to Lab Ideas: Iceland Inspires
• 00:04:48 - Travel Hack: How ChatGPT Became Our Digital Tour Guide
• 00:06:59 - Survival, Science & Synbio: Adventures at the Edge
• 00:09:37 - Deep Dive: Oceans, Algae & the Blue Carbon Breakthrough
• 00:12:29 - Enter Eben Bayer: Mycelium Magic and Fungi Futures
• 00:24:22 - Farming the Future: A Global Mycelium Network Emerges
• 00:25:13 - Teaming Up: Mycelium Hits the Mainstream Food Scene
• 00:26:30 - Eco-Revolution: Why Fungi Might Just Save the Planet
• 00:27:52 - What’s Next? The Tasty Future of Bio-Engineered Foods
• 00:29:35 - Fungi Meets Firmware: Mycelium, Tech & the Rise of Bio-AI
• 00:30:51 - From Farm to Factory: The Scale-Up Challenge Conquered
• 00:32:41 - Off-World Growth: Mycelium and the Final Frontier
• 00:38:30 - Wrap-Up: Big Ideas, Bold Futures, and What’s Coming Next

Links and Resources:

• MyForest Foods
• Ecovative
• HotdogJudge on Instagram
• Extremophiles on Mars: One group of living   things that may be able to survive these extreme conditions is lichens,
• Blue Carbon documentary- carbon dioxide that is absorbed from the atmosphere and stored in the ocean. ⁠⁠⁠⁠

Topics Covered: 

biomanufacturing, mycelium, biomaterials, ecovative, bacon, mycelium bacon, plant based foods.

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Email: groweverything@messaginglab.com

Music by: Nihilore

Production by: Amplafy Media