Canadian Mushroom Growers' Association

What Canadian Mushroom Growers' Association does

The Canadian Mushroom Growers' Association (CMGA), operating under the trade name Mushrooms Canada, is a voluntary non-profit trade association founded in 1955 and headquartered in Harriston, Ontario (firmographics also list Guelph). Its members are commercial mushroom growers, packers, spawn makers, suppliers, distributors, scientists, and allied industry participants in Canada. The association's core service is collective advocacy on regulatory issues — labour, food safety, trade, employment standards, occupational health & safety, and pesticide use — delivered through direct engagement with federal and provincial government agencies and cross-border affiliation with the American Mushroom Institute and the U.S. Mushroom Council.

CMGA does not sell a technology product or software platform. Its member benefits consist of research sponsorship, a printed Membership Directory, free subscription to Mushroom World magazine (standalone value stated at $125/year), periodic bulletins, reduced registration at the North American Mushroom Conference and technical workshops, employee training programs, statistical analysis on Canadian mushroom production, imports and exports, an opt-in Consumer Education/Generic Marketing check-off, and access to a members-only website with reference content on human resources, environmental best practices, ergonomics, food safety, events, and marketing.

Revenue is generated entirely through annual membership dues. Active members in the Agaricus (commercial button mushroom) segment are billed $0.22 per square foot cased per week (averaged over 52 weeks); Active Small Non-Agaricus members pay a flat $385 CAD; Associate members (suppliers and distributors) pay a flat $545 CAD; and Spawn Suppliers pay a flat $1,160 CAD, all plus applicable HST. Membership requires a written application sponsored by a member in good standing and approval by the Board of Directors. The association employs 101–250 staff and is governed by its Active-member voting base, with Associate members excluded from voting and Director eligibility.

Name

Canadian Mushroom Growers' Association

Legal name

Canadian Mushroom Growers' Association

Website

https://canadianmushroom.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Canadian Mushroom Growers' Association (Mushrooms Canada), founded in 1955, is a voluntary non-profit trade association representing Canadian mushroom growers, packers, spawn makers, suppliers, and distributors. It provides regulatory advocacy, research sponsorship, a membership directory, training, and statistical analysis funded by annual membership dues.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Guelph

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues collected from mushroom growers, packers, spawn makers, suppliers, and allied industry members. Fees are structured by member type (Active Agaricus, Active Small Non Agaricus, Associate, Spawn Supplier).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CMGA is a voluntary non-profit trade association that delivers membership-based services to Canada's commercial mushroom industry. Its core offerings include regulatory advocacy with federal and provincial governments, research sponsorship, a membership directory, the Mushroom World magazine, training programs, statistical analysis on production and trade, a consumer education/generic marketing check-off program, and access to a Members' Only resource website.

Product overview

The Canadian Mushroom Growers' Association (CMGA), operating as Mushrooms Canada, is a voluntary, non-profit trade association founded in 1955. It does not offer a technology product or software platform. Its services consist of membership-based advocacy, research sponsorship, a membership directory, educational resources (Mushroom World magazine, bulletins, workshops, training programs), statistical analysis, and access to a Members' Only Website containing resources around HR, environmental best practices, ergonomics, events, and marketing. The association facilitates industry collaboration through affiliations with the American Mushroom Institute and Mushroom Council (USA), and organizes participation in the North American Mushroom Conference.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CMGA Active Membership (Agaricus) Annual membership for commercial Canadian growers of Agaricus mushrooms, granting voting rights, Director eligibility, advocacy representation, research sponsorship, directory listing, magazine subscription, conference discounts, and access to the Members' Only Website.
• CMGA Active Membership (Small Non-Agaricus) Annual flat-fee membership for small commercial growers of specialty (non-Agaricus) mushrooms in Canada, providing full member benefits except voting and Director eligibility.
• CMGA Associate Membership Annual membership for suppliers to the mushroom industry and mushroom distributors, providing member benefits including directory listing, conference discounts, magazine, and Members' Only Website access (no voting rights).
• CMGA Spawn Supplier Membership Annual membership for spawn suppliers deriving their livelihood entirely from the mushroom industry, providing full member benefits except voting and Director eligibility.
• Mushrooms Canada Membership Directory Member business listing service providing industry networking visibility for Canadian mushroom growers, packers, suppliers, and distributors.
• Mushroom World Magazine (Member Subscription) Industry publication subscription included free with CMGA membership; standalone subscription is $125.00 per year.
• Mushrooms Canada Bulletins Periodic bulletins delivering timely industry and regulatory updates to CMGA members.
• Members' Only Website Exclusive member portal providing resources on human resources, environmental best practices, ergonomics, food safety, events, and marketing and promotions.
• North American Mushroom Conference (Member Rate) Reduced registration rate at the North American Mushroom Conference for CMGA members.
• Consumer Education / Generic Marketing Check-Off Program Optional member participation program promoting fresh mushrooms to consumers.
• Mushrooms Canada Employee Training Programs Training programs for employees of CMGA member firms.
• Statistical Analysis (Production, Imports, Exports) Industry statistical analysis covering Canadian mushroom production, imports, and exports, provided to CMGA members.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• American Mushroom InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCMGA maintains an affiliation with the American Mushroom Institute and Mushroom Council (USA). This partnership provides cross-border industry networking, potential joint advocacy on trade and regulatory matters, and access to shared industry resources and conferences.
• Mushroom Council (USA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCMGA maintains an affiliation with the Mushroom Council (USA) alongside the American Mushroom Institute. This partnership facilitates collaboration on industry initiatives, market development, and consumer education programs across North America.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Mushroom Council (USA): The US national check-off body that funds generic mushroom marketing and consumer education. CMGA maintains an explicit core strategic affiliation with the Mushroom Council and operates a parallel optional Consumer Education/Generic Marketing check-off for Canadian growers, making it a directly comparable peer.
• American Mushroom Institute: The US counterpart trade association for the mushroom industry. AMI and CMGA are explicitly affiliated under a mutual strategic relationship and address the same growers, packers, and suppliers in their respective national markets, making AMI the most directly comparable peer.

Regional players

• European Mushroom Growers' Group (GEPC): European trade body representing mushroom growers and packers. As a peer trade association serving the same crop category on a different continent, GEPC provides a useful comparand for CMGA's advocacy, research, and conference programming model outside North America.
• Ontario Federation of Agriculture: General farm organization representing Ontario producers. Because CMGA is Ontario-headquartered and represents Ontario-based mushroom growers, OFA is a regional peer that addresses many of the same provincial regulatory and labour concerns for farm operators.

Emerging players

• Organic Council of Ontario: Ontario-based association promoting organic agriculture including organic mushroom production. OCO sits at the intersection of CMGA's industry and the growing organic segment, making it a meaningful partial-overlap peer for specialty mushroom growers in CMGA's membership.

Broad incumbents

• Canadian Federation of Agriculture: Canada's largest umbrella agricultural trade association. CFA aggregates industry associations including horticulture, providing the macro-level advocacy context in which CMGA operates on mushroom-specific regulatory issues such as trade, labour, and pesticide use.
• Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada: Canadian national association representing fruit and vegetable growers, including horticultural specialty producers. FVGC operates at the broader fresh produce level and competes with CMGA for member mindshare and government advocacy bandwidth on shared issues like trade, labour, and pesticide policy.
• Canadian Produce Marketing Association: National Canadian trade association for the fresh produce industry. CPMA is a broader incumbent that serves many of the same Canadian retailers, packers, and growers that CMGA's members sell into, and represents the wider trade-association category CMGA sits within.

Others

• Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada: Canadian federal department that regulates and supports the agricultural sector. CMGA engages directly with AAFC and provincial counterparts on policy, trade, and research — making it a critical ecosystem stakeholder rather than a competing association.
• Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS): Canadian occupational health and safety body whose resources on labour, ergonomics, and workplace safety directly overlap with CMGA's advocacy scope on OH&S and employee training. CCOHS is an ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor, shaping the regulatory and educational environment CMGA's members operate in.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mushroomgrowers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Canadian Mushroom Growers' Association