Overview
Although over 2,000 varieties of mushrooms are edible, only a handful have become important in the American diet. The mushrooms most familiar to U.S. buyers are the "whites" or common button agaricus. Other varieties of agaricus, the criminis and portabellas, are known as the “browns.” Shiitake (shee tah kay), oyster, wood ear and enoki (e nok e) mushrooms are also popular. Particularly in the Pacific Northwest and the northeastern United States, seasonal species such as morels, oysters and chanterelles are gathered in the wild and sold at farmers' markets and through retail stores. U.S. consumers continue to purchase fresh, canned and dried mushrooms, both domestic and imported.

Production
Overall mushroom production decreased in 2012-2013 and the value of mushrooms increased. The United States produced 896 million pounds of mushrooms during 2012-2013, down slightly from the previous season. The total value of the crop was $1.11 billion in 2013, up 1 percent from the previous season. The number of commercial mushroom growers was 298, an increase in 17 growers from the previous season. The average price for U.S. mushrooms was $1.24 per pound, an increase of 2 cent from the previous year. March 2014 ... Mushrooms

Marketing
• American Mushroom Institute - A national trade association representing the growers, processors and marketers of cultivated mushrooms.
• Congress and Agencies Should Take Additional Steps to Reduce Substantial Shortfalls in Duty Collection, Government Accountability Office, 2008 - Over $600 million in duties remain uncollected, dating back to 2001. A majority of the uncollected duties comes from four products from China: crawfish tail meat ($354 million), garlic ($75 million), honey ($43 million), and mushrooms ($41 million).
• Global Agricultural Trade System (GATS), Foreign Ag Service (FAS), USDA.
• Mushroom Council - Information on basic mushroom production, types, care and handling and recipes.
• Mushroom Grower's Newsletter - Covers all aspects of the world-wide industry. Includes a bookstore, information board and list of suppliers.
• Mushroom Marketing, Question of the Week, ATTRA, National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT), 2007.
• Mushrooms, National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), USDA, 2010.
• Mushrooms, Vegetables and Melons Yearbook, Economic Research Service (ERS), USDA.
• Retail Best Practices: Initial Study, Mushroom Council, 2009 - This study investigated how to help grow mushrooms sales and improve profits. Other findings include: (1) The average consumer spends $10 per year on mushrooms and (2) Of the top five favorite fresh vegetables, mushrooms rank third.
Processing/Manufacturing
• Crop King Mushroom Production Unit, Seville, Ohio - Provider of mushroom products for commercial and hobby growers.
• Gourmet Mushrooms, Inc., Sebastopol, California - Supplier of food and neutraceutical mushrooms and mushroom products, also automated production systems, kits for hobbyists and educators and "direct-to-chef" marketing arrangements.