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Our Nutraceutical Story
In our 50th year in business, Amir Karian, one of our family members, helped us expand our expertise as the leading producer and marketer of fresh mushrooms, spawn, and mushroom genetics in the world, into a new product offering: nutraceutical mushrooms.
Celebrating 50+ Years
At Monterey Mushrooms, we’re on a mission to cultivate better health by nourishing humanity and our planet. Each year, we grow, harvest, package, and deliver millions of pounds of the freshest mushrooms.
Founded in 1971, we became a family-owned business when Shah Kazemi — who began as an employee himself — purchased the company. Shah has been a pivotal force in laying the foundation of the modern mushroom industry worldwide, popularizing innovations such as the beloved Portabella mushroom, sustainable packaging for mushrooms and negotiating labor contracts for farmers alongside Caesar Chavez.
As part of the Monterey Mushrooms family of businesses, Monterey Nutra leverages the size of our entire operation to produce the highest-quality mushrooms for powders and extracts at an affordable price. Backed by decades of experience, you can count on the quality of our products and the reliability of our service.
Leadership at Our Family-owned Business
Amir Karian
Director of Nutraceuticals
Monterey Mushrooms operates as a family-owned business, and Amir is part of the third generation of family members who have put their stamp on the global mushroom cultivation industry.
Amir joined the biotech division of the company in 2017. His passion for mycology expanded after discovering the benefits of medicinal mushrooms. He created our nutraceutical division, developed new mushroom genetics, and expanded our processing facilities and farms throughout California. As Director, Amir Enhances People’s Lives with expertise and compassion.
Shah Kazemi
Founder And Humble Leader
True to our roots as humble farmers, Shah leads Monterey Mushrooms as a driven, innovative, and compassionate human. As the owner and founder, he believes in putting people first.
One of Shah’s favorite things to say is, “We don’t only grow mushrooms; we grow people.” Leading over 4,000 teammates, Shah focuses on inclusion and acceptance, knowing that people do their best work when they feel valued and appreciated. He is dedicated to the quality and value of the mushrooms produced by the company and the innovation we’ll drive over the next 50 years.
Kyon Kazemi
CEO
Kyon graduated college in SF with a culinary degree and worked as a chef upon graduating. He began working at Monterey in 1992 as a grower and eventually moved to Amycel under the biotech division. He has led the division over the past decade to become the most trusted mushroom spawn and genetics producer around the world.
Our Farmers and Scientists
Farmers
Our talented farmers are the heart of our story, nurturing our reputation from humble beginnings into the global leader in mushroom cultivation. Today, our team of growers is one of our most valued assets.
At Monterey Nutra, our passion for authenticity drives us to innovate continuously, and our team’s dedication grows alongside our commitment to quality and innovation. The talent of our farmers has allowed us to harness our scientific expertise and create whole-food, nutrient-rich solutions for manufacturers and formulators.
Scientists
At Monterey Nutra, we are committed to delivering premium mushroom powders and extracts containing industry-leading potency and verified levels of bioactive compounds.
Our expert microbiologists and skilled research associates deliver on that commitment daily. They’ve created superior mushroom genetics, growing processes, milling and extraction practices, and testing protocols that empower us to deliver industry-leading purity and potency. Their expertise and dedication have positioned us as the premier producer of functional mushroom powders and extracts.
Our Vision And Values
The vision and values of Monterey Nutra are to support health and well-being through superior quality and innovation. We provide high-quality nutraceutical options by focusing on trust, respect, integrity, shared vision, empowerment, teamwork, accountability, and continuous improvement.
Our Mission
Our mission is to cultivate health by nourishing humanity and our planet, and we do that through careful dedication to our craft and a commitment to sustainability. We combine scientific precision and a farmer’s intuition to ensure a positive impact on human health through sustainable, responsible mushroom cultivation.
Our Purpose
From fresh mushrooms sold at grocery stores nationwide to mushroom products used in foodservice and food manufacturing, Monterey is known for quality, service, and value. We have continued that tradition at Monterey Nutra where We Enhance People's Lives:
- We embrace a collaborative, diverse, and supportive work environment
- We provide satisfying jobs with a family- and community-oriented culture
- We provide best-in-class customer service, support, and solutions
- We delight our consumers with wholesome, safe, and healthy products
- We grow, harvest, and pack high-quality products that are nutritious, flavorful, convenient, and sustainable
The Monterey Nutra Difference
Established, Reliable Enterprise
Monterey Mushrooms has a history spanning more than 50 years. Our biotech division at Amycel includes an expert in-house team with doctorates in molecular biology and research associates responsible for developing novel strains of mushrooms and producing spawn used by commercial farmers worldwide.
World-Renowned Mushroom Experts
We are the global leader in fresh mushrooms and mushroom spawn, genetics, and powders, with a reputation built over decades. Our world-renowned experts created two patented Brown mushroom strains used in more than 90% of global production and are the basis of the iconic Portabella mushroom.
Science-Focused Production & Testing
At Monterey Nutra, we combine science-focused production and testing and the art of cultivating medicinal mushrooms for all product types — mycelium, full spectrum, and fruiting body powders and extracts. We use state-of-the-art in-house and third-party testing to ensure every mushroom we grow meets our purity and potency standards.
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