 Welcome, everybody, to Lillian's Vegan World, Aloha. Thank you so much for joining us today for another episode where we talk about the vegan lifestyle and plant-based diet. I am so, so happy to welcome back on my show someone that I had on last year with her husband, the awesome Ellen Gambriel. Hi, Lily. Hi, Ellen. Welcome back to the show. Thanks for having us. We're honored to be here. You know, I'm always sussing you out on Facebook and checking out your food pictures. They do definitely suck me in. You're an awesome cook, but Ellen, I would love to introduce you. You are a nurse, yoga instructor, vegan, awesome cook, and an animal rights activist, among other things. And you also run your business with your husband, Captain Mushroom. Yes, that's right. We, uh, that things are a little slower since the virus, but we're still growing. And we've noticed that there's a large population of people that love mushrooms on a wahoo. So they've been keeping us pretty busy since the restaurants were closed. That's great because I was going to say, yeah, I can imagine that since you, since COVID-19, you have had to find other ways of getting your mushrooms out there to the public, which we will go into detail with. But how's it all going? Yeah, I'm, you know, it was a little frightening at first. I mean, we had just gotten a pretty big account with a restaurant in Cololino and they're excellent, really, really great people to work with. They were so enthusiastic about the mushrooms and it was a beautiful relationship. And then, you know, two weeks later, it was over. And I was actually up on the North Shore at a silent meditation retreat for 10 days. So I heard about that retreat. Yeah, the Vipassana. So I didn't even know what was going on. And really? Yeah, we were completely cut off. We didn't know we have no cell phones, no communication with the outside world. I was actually running the kitchen. So I was cooking for almost 150 people every day. Wow. Super busy and all vegan meals. So that was very cool. And my daughter room experience. Oh yeah. So it's my third, my third class, my third time doing it. And then they had to end the class early because we had Canadian people that had to fly home and they were about to close the airports. And that's when we found out what was happening. Okay. Wow. Yeah. Sorry to hear that. But I mean, it seems like you found a way to make it work, to make this work. We definitely thanks to Facebook, actually, and just advertising our mushrooms. A lot of word of mouth in the vegan community and others. And we just have been really supported by the community. You know, people in Oahu, you can't find nicer people than here. And they've been very, very good to us and very helpful. Awesome. I'm so glad to hear that. You know, the, the one thing that I've really found that I love here or love about Hawaii is that it's a really tight community where people genuinely are taking care of each other. And since COVID-19, you can see how the people here are just awesome. I mean, look at how far we've, we've been able to sort of keep the numbers down as far as people contracting the disease, but it's Hawaii's a special place. And I'm so glad to hear that. And I can imagine that everyone's taking care of you guys. Your mushrooms are awesome. Yeah. Yeah. They are. They are fantastic. They're organic. There's, they're organic there to tell us about the actual variety of mushrooms that you are growing first of all. Right. So presently we're growing oyster mushrooms and that's, you know, specific kind of mushroom, but then we, we grow several different strains. So we had started last year with the elms, which are white and the blues, which are, they start out blue, but then they turn brown. And then we sort of tried a couple of others. We did some pink, some gold. There's many, many beautiful varieties of oysters. And I didn't even know that that many existed. Oh yeah. There's several. Actually, Vance could probably calculate exactly how many different strains. And, and I decided which ones were my favorite. And then we would go to our regular customers and give them a sample and say, you know, how do you feel about this or that? Cause they all have different textures. Some are good in stir fry. Others are good in risotto. You know, just depending on how long you want to cook them. And now we're growing mushrooms called eight, eight, oh one. And they're very mysterious. They're very meaty and delicious. You can use them instead of meat for like a veggie burger suit. I'll have to, I'll definitely have to get you some there. You'll love them. Yes, please. That sounds amazing. And it sounds like the exact kind of mushroom that, you know, non-vegans would really appreciate too with that meaty texture. And mushrooms tend to be able to soak in any flavors that they're thrown into. So that's the other thing about them. Not to mention that they're packed with antioxidants. Right. Yeah. Mushrooms are awesome. According to a lot of, a lot of studies, mushrooms lower cholesterol levels, alleviate inflammation, may block cancer growth and does boost brain. Yes. Absolutely. There are studies on Alzheimer's disease and dementia. And there's a particular strain called lion's mane, which we did grow. It takes, it tastes like lobster. It's fantastic. Wow. Yeah. And it's a little harder to grow commercially. It takes much longer, but you can buy a kit and grow your own. And it's, it's a lot of fun. They're very hairy. They look like a lion's mane and they really, really taste like lobster or crab. Yeah, they're fantastic. And apparently, apparently they are the mushrooms that they're working with Alzheimer's to cure or slow down the progression. Really? I have to look into that. So Ellen, I do want to mention again the name of your business, which is Captain Mushroom and the man behind the business is your husband. We do have some pictures that you prepared for us. So let's take a look at the first one. There we go. Yes. Sorry. That's your, yeah. That's your mushrooms. These mushrooms are the, these are the blues. So they start out, they're actually black when they start out. Some are blue. And then I think we have a few browns. It's a little hard for me to know exactly which ones. There's two different strains there, but the, it looks like. Yeah. The large picture with the little ones, those start out black and they're actually our browns. And then they grow up and they're, the one thing I like about them is the stems are very soft. So they're really nothing goes to waste. That's actually what I noticed when I tried your mushrooms, because some of them can get a bit almost woody or a little bit too, too, too tough to eat. And you kind of do have to remove that, those hard stems, but yours are just, I would say you grow the perfect mushrooms. Oh, well, thank you. We like to think so. Honestly, they're amazing. Let's take a look at another picture that you have for us. Here we go. Okay. So that is us and our sun mango. Your sun. We did the pillbox hike. I don't know if you've been there, but on the west coast of Oahu and in Waianae and non a Kuli area, there's a pillbox hike. Just go up the side of the mountain and there's several pillboxes and the view is spectacular. It looks amazing. I did want to ask where you took that photo from. Is that hiking trail open? Yeah. It's open. It is. Okay. Yeah. It's hard to, it's, it's in a development. So you kind of have to know a little bit about where to go. Yeah. And then you just park your car and walk up the mountain. A lot of people go up there and really, you know, cool people that all want to look at the view. And even with the quarantine, they said that you can still hike. Just keep your distance. Okay. Fair enough. I mean, everyone's complying with the new COVID-19 rule. So I don't see any reason why they, they need to close the trails. But that's great. Ellen, I was just thinking, looking at you guys, are you a vegan? Is that correct? That's correct. I mean, you guys are the epitome of health. I love looking at people like you who just, you know, you take care of yourselves and health is very important to you. And at the end of the day, you know, if you don't have your health, you really are going to struggle later on in life, especially the older you get. So, you know, the whole foods plant-based diet, there's definitely something to be said of it. This photo is gorgeous. Now that was a sunset at Makua beach where we swim with dolphins every once in a while. They're right out there. Yeah. If you go early enough, there's a pod of dolphins and we swam with a pod for about an hour. It was the coolest experience. Yeah. So we took that picture last weekend on Mother's Day. Oh, really? This is a very recent photo. It's beautiful. You guys make such a, you know, awesome couple. I'm so happy for you. And we were just talking, Ellen, before the show, that I think you guys are going to be one of the couples that do make it through this. Still happy and together. I hope so. Not that no other couples are going to. I mean, you know, as I'm just kidding. But yeah, great to see you guys together having fun and all that sort of stuff. Because you do have to keep busy, don't you, during this self-quarantine period? Absolutely. Especially if you're unable to work. Well, that's why you see a lot of my vegan dishes on Facebook. I've been doing a lot of cooking and fostering some animals. And yeah, staying busy, I think, is key. Getting a lot of sunlight is important. Vitamin D, exercise. And you're right. I think if you don't have your health, you're really in trouble. I'm 62. And I have to... Oh, my gosh, Ellen. Yeah. And you know, I really attribute my health to a vegan diet because before I was a vegan, I did have some health issues and they've all disappeared. And sure, I get the aches and pains that everybody gets, but do stretching every morning and get some sunlight and fresh air and drink lots of water and stay away from flesh. Yeah, so I'm going to be fine. I couldn't agree more. And you look amazing. I am flabbergasted to hear that you're 62. You're, I think, the new 62. But yeah, the vegan diet, there's something to be said of it. Ellen, we're going to take a break in a couple of minutes. And I did want to ask you to introduce your husband, Bance, although he'll come on after the break. We'll have a one-minute break. But yeah, go ahead and tell us a little bit about Bance or Captain Mushroom as he's known. Sure. So my beautiful husband, Bance, is the brainchild of our company, Captain Mushroom. I thought of the name, but he thought of the business. And when we moved to Hawaii, we just weren't sure what we were going to do to make a living. And he researched mushrooms for several months. And he said, let's grow mushrooms. And it was a very good decision. It's been extremely rewarding and it's a lot of work. A lot of people want to do what we do, but you really have to have a commitment because it does take a lot of work. They don't grow by themselves, even though we make it look easy. No. And the video that you prepared for us is so interesting, Ellen. I must say I've never seen anything like it. So to whoever's watching this show, do stay tuned. We're going to take a quick break, but we'll be back with Captain Mushroom, your husband, Bance, to talk more. Ellen, thank you so much for joining us on the show. It was great to see you looking gorgeous as ever. Stay healthy, stay happy, and stay safe. Thanks Lily, and you too. My pleasure. See you all later. We're going to take a quick break and we'll be back with Bance at Captain Mushroom. Aloha. I'm Keisha King, host of Crossroads and Learning on Think Tech Hawaii. On Crossroads and Learning, our guests and I discuss all aspects of education here in Hawaii and throughout the country. You can join us for stimulating conversations to enrich and liven and educate. We are streamed live on Think Tech bi-weekly at 4 p.m. on Mondays. Thanks so much for watching our show. We look forward to seeing you then. Aloha. Welcome back everyone to Lillian's Vegan World. So awesome to have you with us. Today I am here with Bance Gambriel. We just had his beautiful wife Ellen on talking about their mushroom business, Captain Mushroom. And now I am proud to introduce you to the Captain Mushroom, Bance Gambriel. Welcome Bance. Hi, thanks for having me. Pleasure. So glad to have you on again. How's everything going since COVID-19? Oh, pretty good. Well, the restaurants, 95% of our business was restaurants. So that was quite a blow. And so we had a big surplus of mushrooms suddenly. And we had to get creative, went on Facebook Marketplace and was able to sell quite a bit. We sold some down to earth. Down to earth, great. And we didn't have to draw any of them up. We were able to sell them all. So we stopped growing for a while. And then I just have faith things are going to be start picking up here now. So since mushrooms take about a month to grow out, we've started production again. And then we swung a deal with Humana Farms to have some mushrooms in their CSA. So awesome. Sorry, Bance, just to interrupt. Yeah. Sorry to interrupt. So you're talking about Cajumana Farm and Cafe you're talking about? Yes. Yes. Yes. So they're selling the community shared agriculture, CSA boxes of fresh produce to the public. Correct. Yes. Right. Awesome. And so they're going to put, they're going to add your mushrooms to that. Yes, they are. Oh my gosh, that should be ready in about first to second week in June. I'm definitely going to put an order in. Yeah, it's, it's a good way to go. You know, people are getting used to this, you know, home delivery system. So yes, yes, they're starting to take off. They deliver to Kailua too. They're based out of Waianae. Okay. And they could delivery to Kailua. You can pick up here in Waianae and somewhere around the Waku area as well. Okay. So if anyone is interested in those CSA boxes of fresh produce, you can contact Kahumana and Kahumana Farm and Cafe directly. So obviously the cafes close, but they are doing also delivery and pickup for these boxes. Yes. Yes. Okay. Fans, we've got some photos and video that we, video footage that we have to go through of your awesome mushrooms. So let's take a look at another photo that we have here that you prepped for us. Look at the size of those mushrooms. I've never seen them that big before. Yeah. The shape of mushrooms is called phenotypes. And we don't really have very much control over the phenotypes. They range from, you know, nice little buttons to large caps as you see there. And, you know, I mean that once we see them, you know, and then we could pick them a little earlier, but sometimes we let the big ones go, we go, okay, you know, this could be a record. So I'm going to let this one go a little longer. That's amazing. How do you enjoy eating the mushrooms personally? I know there's so much you can do with them, but yeah. Are you kidding? My wife is the best vegan chef on this earth. Actually, there's one more. And, you know, the risotto that she makes, she comes up with all kinds of different things all the time. These mushrooms, they are truly amazing because I tried them, yes, last year, the last time that we had you on the show, you just can't buy mushrooms like this. So hopefully later on in the year, as, you know, as the world progresses and things move on, we are hoping to be able to buy them from you, hopefully they'll be available to the public again. Yes. Yeah, in time. I mean, we hope the restaurants, you know, are going to come back to full capacity. We realize that it's probably going to, you know, it's going to come back slowly more than likely. But, you know, yeah, we'll have them at down to earth and, you know, get it directly from us as well. Awesome. That's it. Thank you for that. So we can find you, Captain Mushroom. How would someone want to get in, be able to get in contact with you? You can just find us on Facebook. It's Captain Mushroom Oahu and our phone number is there. Our phone number is 808-365-2622. And these are all locally grown, all organic, no pesticides, incredibly delicious, and really you should try and anyone who's watching the show should try and find a way to get a hold of some. So, Vance, we do have a video that you and Ellen shot for us, a footage of your mushrooms and how they're grown. So I would love to take a look at that. I think that's the next. Hello, I'm Mushroom Lovers. We're Ellen and Vance from Captain Mushroom. And today we're going to give you a little glimpse of how we produce our beautiful, delicious, organic oyster mushrooms right here on Oahu. All starts with sterilizing the substrate. Captain Mushroom is demonstrating the first part of the process. We place hardwood pellets and other organic material into these biodegradable bags and we mix with water. After a few minutes, the pellets absorb the water and then they're ready to be folded and placed into the sterilizer. The sterilizer is on for 18 hours at 200 degrees. Once the bags are sterilized, they go on to these racks to cool for a few days in the lab where the air is scrubbed by passing through. The next part of the process is inoculation. It's critical that everything remains very sterile and meticulously organized. We inoculate the substrate with organically grown spond, so we seal the bags. The next part of the process is incubation. Here we move the inoculated bags into the incubation room where they'll be stored at around 75 degrees. These filter patches keep the air inside the bag sterile while this white mycelium feeds on the substrate and grows throughout the entire bag. The incubation phase takes about two weeks. After the incubation process is complete, the bags are brought into the spurting chamber. Grow in a very controlled environment with the proper oxygen levels, temperature, humidity and light spectrum. They are ready to be harvested in about one to two weeks. We hope you enjoyed our video. You can call us anytime at 808-365-2622 or you can email us at capmush2to at gmail.com. Aloha! What a great video. No problem. Yeah, no, we just put it together in just a short two minutes. It's hard for me to talk and explain everything in two minutes. No, you did an awesome job. Again, I do urge people to take a look at the video once the links are up, but it is a great video and I learned so much about mushrooms in just those two minutes. Yeah, it's quite the process for sure. It is. It looks like quite a large space that you're growing them in. How large of a space is it? It's about probably 500 square foot total between the incubation room and the grow room and lab, bagging area. All climate controlled, hepa filters. Lots of hepa filters, you know. Yes. Geez, where does Ellen get to put all of her shoes? You're taking up all the room. Oh, no, no, it's in a different place. Okay. No, that's awesome. So looking forward to getting hold of some of your mushrooms again, Vance. You know, I wanted to ask you something if you don't mind. You and Ellen were in St. Thomas in Alaska during the... Was it Erma and Maria? The Hurricane Erma and Maria. So you had chartered a snorkel... Sorry, you started a snorkel chartered boat business? Yes. Did you have to tell us about that? Because I'm just trying to think two major disasters really have happened in your life and which one is more challenging for you? What we're going through now with COVID-19 or what you went through after the hurricanes and losing your business? Oh, the hurricanes for sure. You know, that's by far, you know. Without electricity, without cell phone service, Wi-Fi. You know, we're still dependent upon our Wi-Fi now that when you suddenly don't have any for weeks, you know, it's quite an adjustment for sure. Well, that's interesting because Ellen was just talking about the retreat she went on where she, the 10-day retreat where she wasn't talking at all. I was just thinking, I don't think I can even do that for 10 minutes. Oh, you can adjust. You can do it. It's amazing. Our mind can do anything. Yeah. But yeah, it was quite perfect. You know, seeing palm fronds fly at 130 miles an hour vertical and rain vertical. You know, it was raining so hard. You know, at the bottom of windows, there's these little cracks. So when you wash your windows, the water runs out. They're tiny little cracks. Well, it was raining so hard, it was spraying as if somebody took a spray nozzle and just sprayed in your windows. It was just spraying all over your house. So we had to put towels around all the windows because the spray was coming in through those tiny cracks in the bottom of the window seal. That's a, that's a very, yeah. On top of everything, you know, bad that happened during that hurricane, it was a very, it must have been a very scary experience for you. Because I was thinking, I lived through the 2011 tsunami earthquake in Japan and I was in the city where it hit in the Tohoku region, Sendai. So we lost 20,000 people there. Not to mention so many people lost their homes, kids were orphaned, etc. And I was thinking too, which one's worse? And it's hard to say because this COVID-19 is just affected everyone, you know, in some way or other. Then we are going to get, we are actually at the end of the show, but please say something to the viewers out there about your mushrooms, about, you know, the situation or anything that comes to mind and then we'll wrap up the show. Oh, well, you know, we're moving into a vegan diet. The meat processing plants are doing more to harm global warming than fossil fuels. In fact, if we reduced our meat consumption by a quarter and then poll world, we would have no need to reduce any fossil fuels whatsoever. So mushrooms are a big part of meat replacement. That is so true and so well said. And I do hope that perhaps during these challenging times, people are, you know, thinking more about their health or rethinking their health. And maybe one of the ways you can improve your health is the obvious steer more towards a whole foods plant-based diet. For sure. And you and Ellen are living proof that, you know, you can be so healthy at any age all of us can. Oh yeah, mushrooms boost your immunity. They certainly do. And they taste great as well. Vance, thank you so much again for coming on. It was awesome having you and your gorgeous wife, Ellen, on. I do wish you all the best with your future and your business. Take care, stay safe, stay healthy and everyone else. See you next time on Lillian's Vegan World. Aloha. Well vegan.