Organic gourmet mushrooms and wood-based mushroom substrates from Kerns – produced in a self-developed, fully automated substrate facility.

Kernser Edelpilze GmbH

Kerns (Stanserstrasse 50)New on Amplifa

1995Founded

2016Occupation of the new operating building in Kerns

510'000 kWh/yearOwn solar power production

2nd generationFamily business, management since 2017 Patrick Häcki

About us

Kernser Edelpilze GmbH produces organic gourmet mushrooms as well as wood-based mushroom substrates in Kerns (Obwalden). The mushrooms (shiitake, pleurotus, king oyster mushroom, nameko, enoki d'or) thrive on substrates produced in-house with Swiss wood as the main ingredient. The substrate is made from upcycled by-products of the forestry and food industries in a fully automated production facility that covers formulation, mixing, hygienisation, inoculation and final packaging. The bag-system facility was developed in-house from 2011 onwards. Products are sold via wholesale and retail (including Migros), farm shops and the webshop; since 2017 the company has been supplying substrates to major organic gourmet mushroom producers in Switzerland and the EU. Through its subsidiary Mycostrat GmbH (since 2023), sustainable materials such as mycelium composite products (flower pots, insulation panels, packaging) are being developed. Production is organised on a purely organic and energy-efficient basis.

Site: Kerns
Processes: Production of wood-based organic gourmet mushroom substrates (fully automated production facility:, Mushroom production (shiitake, pleurotus, king oyster mushroom, nameko, enoki d'or), Sales via wholesale/retail, farm shop and webshop, Substrate upcycling / sustainable materials (subsidiary Mycostrat GmbH:, Mushroom events/tours
Materials: Wood substrate, Food industry by-products, Mushroom mycelium composite
Certificates: Bio Suisse / Swiss Organic Farming Ordinance, GLOBALG.A.P. IFA SMART v6.0 (GGN 4056186318541), From the Region. For the Region. Migros Lucerne (regio.garantie), EnAW-Zielvereinbarung (Klimaschutz/Energieeffizienz, Teilnehmer seit 2022), GLOBALG.A.P. IFA SMART v6.0, Migros regio.garantie (ProCert), ISO 9001
Founded: 1995
Industries: Food trade (wholesale and retail), Gastronomy, Agriculture (substrates for organic gourmet mushroom producers), Construction materials/design (mycelium composite, Mycostrat GmbH), Gastronomy/fine dining, Agriculture (substrates for organic gourmet mushroom producers in Switzerland

01
Formulation and mixing of the substrate (Swiss wood, by-products of the
02
Hygienisation
03
Inoculation
04
Final bag packaging
05
Maturation phase
06
Mushroom harvest
07
Picking and sale (wholesale/retail, farm shop, webshop)

Raw Materials & Substrate Production

SUB-HOLZ

Wood substrate

The main component of the substrate is natural, pelletised Swiss sawdust from Swiss sawmills.

SUB-NEBEN

Food industry by-products

Press cakes from oil-bearing seeds, husks and bran serve as an energy source (proteins, fats) for mushroom production.

MYZEL

Mushroom mycelium composite

At the subsidiary Mycostrat GmbH, the base material for biodegradable materials such as flower pots, insulation panels and packaging.

Site

Kerns

Production and administration site

Materials: Wood substrate, mycelium composite

Fully automated substrate production facility with bag system (in-house development)
Mixing and filling systems
Packaging and price labelling systems
Solar system (approx. 510'000 kWh/year)

Industries

Food trade (wholesale and retail)GastronomyAgriculture (substrates for organic gourmet mushroom producers)Construction materials/design (mycelium composite, Mycostrat GmbH)Gastronomy/fine diningAgriculture (substrates for organic gourmet mushroom producers in SwitzerlandConstruction materials/design (Mycostrat GmbH, mycelium composite)

Additional services

Production of wood-based organic gourmet mushroom substrates (fully automated production facility:Mushroom production (shiitake, pleurotus, king oyster mushroom, nameko, enoki d'or)Sales via wholesale/retail, farm shop and webshopSubstrate upcycling / sustainable materials (subsidiary Mycostrat GmbH:Mushroom events/tours

Reference customers

Migros (includes Kernser Edelpilze in its range)largest organic gourmet mushroom producers in Switzerland and the EU (substrate customers)

Quality & Certification

Production is certified according to Bio Suisse and the Swiss Organic Farming Ordinance, GLOBALG.A.P. (IFA SMART v6.0) as well as Migros regio.garantie. A quality check of all products is carried out before delivery.

Evidence	Kerns
Bio Suisse / Swiss Organic Farming Ordinance
GLOBALG.A.P. IFA SMART v6.0
Migros regio.garantie (ProCert)
ISO 9001

History

1995
Foundation: transition from Sepp Häcki's pig farming to mushroom production; first shiitake mushrooms under the name "Kernser Edelpilze"
1996
Start-up phase; initially purchased mushroom substrate from abroad
2009
Expansion of the Steini site; production area enlarged by about one third
2011
Patrick Häcki joins the company; development of the world's first fully automated substrate production facility with bag system
2013
Commissioning of a solar system with 135.46 kWp on the roof of the operating building in Steini
2014
agroPrize as the most innovative agricultural business in Switzerland; recognition prize of the Chamber of Commerce of Central Switzerland
2016
Move to the new operating building in Kerns; first mushroom harvest at the new site; Migros adds the gourmet mushrooms to its range
2017
The 2nd generation (Patrick Häcki) takes over management; substrate sales to producers in Switzerland and the EU
2019
Visionary orientation and sustainability focus
2022
Participation in the Energy Agency of the Swiss Economy (EnAW)
2023
Foundation of the subsidiary Mycostrat GmbH (sustainable materials from mushroom mycelium)
2024
Launch of "mycaspo" flower pots made of mycelium composite
2026
30th anniversary