In September 2012, an article about growing mushrooms appeared quite unexpectedly among the usual articles posted on the Mobile 01 online forum, popular with white-collar workers and devoted mainly to discussions related to 3C products (computer, communication and consumer electronics). The article describes how the writer took delivery of a block of mushroom growing medium, packed in a small carton decorated with illustrations, and began watering it regularly. Amazingly, in less than two weeks, white, pink and golden-yellow mushrooms emerged. “After watching my mushrooms sprout, I couldn’t wait to get into the office each day to check their progress,” the writer explains excitedly.

This writer’s experience is part of a mushroom growing sensation in Taiwan, created by Stanley Huang. Originally working in an office environment as an engineer for Delta Electronics, Huang gradually became bored with the (lack of) life in his workplace. So despite his modest working experience of around four years, he well understood the desire of office workers to escape from their dreary office-bound existence. At the same time, he noticed that popular games on social networking sites were tending towards the agricultural: games like the formerly popular “Happy Farm,” or a more recent app called “Funghi Gardening Kit.” Both reflect the desire of people confined to an urban lifestyle, and especially to the daily grind of office life, to return to nature.

As a means to calm the spirit at work, office workers tend to develop crazes for social network games like “Happy Farm” and the “Funghi Gardening Kit.”

­Huang grew up in the Wu­feng District of Tai­chung, an area known for its mushroom farms, so during his childhood he would help his uncle to grow and harvest mushrooms. One day many years later, with all these thoughts in mind, he asked his uncle for some mushroom spawn to grow at home as an experiment. He was amazed to see that mushrooms emerged in just a few days, and the idea took root in his mind of transforming the mushroom from a simple dining table item, to one of stress relief on the office desk.

So one weekend in March 2012, ­Huang returned to his hometown to discuss developing various strains of fungi with his uncle. He eventually handed over the most difficult part of the work, identifying suitable fungi strains, to his uncle, a man with 30 years’ experience in the field. Huang also encouraged 100-odd of his friends and relatives to try growing mushrooms and record their growth. Three months later, he was in a position to make a shortlist of varieties from the 20 or more strains available for his purpose: the golden oyster mushroom, oyster mushroom, pearl mushroom (nameko), “sweetheart mushroom,” and jelly-ear fungus. With a good appreciation of the psychology of office workers, who tend to appreciate fast results, Huang adjusted the proportions of the growing medium, using materials like sawdust, rice bran, calcium carbonate, and wheat chaff, cutting the growing period from a month to between seven and 14 days.

From watering and cultivating mushrooms to harvest day, growing fungi has become a recreational activity for office workers to reduce stress in their busy lives.

With a degree from the Department of Business Administration, National Tai­pei University (NTPU), and also an MBA from Clemson University in the US, ­Huang has made good use of his marketing expertise in transforming mushroom farming into a fun activity for desk-bound office workers.

­Huang invited fellow NTPU alumnus Lin Zheng­wei, who runs a marketing design company, to create hand-painted illustrations for the mushroom growing cartons. With six simple and easy-to-understand illustrations to assist, office workers are able to learn the process of growing mushrooms in an entertaining and novel way.

Just Good’s website attracted the attention of well-known blogger Jhai Nyu Siao Hong. She ordered the product and fell in love with the experience: “The mushrooms are so cute, and I love being able to experience being a farmer at home.” With her seal of approval on the project, many visitors have followed, resulting in a mushroom growing boom.

Just Good launched its products onto the market three months earlier than scheduled at the end of August 2012, selling more than 8000 packages in the first month and reaching break-even. Just two months after the launch, Huang was able to resign from his engineering job to focus on his new business. Today, Just Good’s average monthly sales total around 5,000–10,000 packages, with a monthly turnover of NT$1 million.

Office worker WaWa recorded every moment of her mushroom growing experience on the Just Good website: “That day there was a stack of things waiting for me to deal with, so I had totally forgotten about the mushrooms. But when I saw my desk with the fungi suddenly grown into five beautiful milky-white mushrooms, I was amazed. The fact that they had sprung up overnight had also attracted attention from colleagues and we chatted about their progress—I felt very satisfied with my miniature farm, and not a little flattered.”

“Unlike smartphone games that tend to separate people from others around them, growing mushrooms involves planting, watering and harvesting and often leads to an interesting discussion. It enhances the atmosphere in the office and tends to alleviate any stress,” says Huang. Unlike virtual gardening games, raising real mushrooms doesn’t have a rulebook. Each grower has their own individual touch, producing mushrooms that are different in appearance and in how quickly they grow. More particularly, growers gain a great sense of personal accomplishment. Who would have thought that the fashion for growing mushrooms would become one of the latest ways to relieve stress at work?