we use mushroom compost (fresh from the farm) to start our gardens with and to top up when needed, but we also feed the medium by adding all rottable scraps under the mulches we use. the mulches are green type spoilt hay mulches so there is nutrient being added all the time. no matter what migh be in mushroom compost it is all we can access as those mixed soils from the suppliers could contain all sorts of undesirables as well, but in the end you have to use what is economically available. we don't till/dig gardens the worms do that free of charge and effort. len Here is a link that might be useful: len's garden page

Just a slightly different take on this. Bagged manure available around here from the box stores has a VERY low content of actual manure -- in most cases only about 10%. Yes it can provide some tilth to the soil but very little in terms of fertility, and in my experience does not really add much to the soil. Mushroom compost, on the other hand, is made up virtually completely of composted manures and has a much higher organic/manure content than the bagged manures available here. Unfortunately, where I live mushroom compost is virtually impossible to find, none of the stores sell it and it is no longer available in bulk any where in SE Michigan that I know of. I did manage to get one load of mushroom compost about 5 years ago and used it as a soil amendment in areas where lime loving plants grow, like hellebores and clematis. Those plants grew like crazy! I know it is somewhat basic but that can be corrected depending on what you are growing and your natural soil pH. I know at Ashwood nursery in England, probably the premier hellebore nursery in the world, they made beds largely of mushroom compost, and their hellebores in the garden were to die for. So....take from that what you want, but wish I could get some more mushroom compost. Having said all that, if you have made beds the way you describe and are adding that much organic matter every year, your soil is probably in great condition and you probably only need to amend or fertilize around hungry plants (clematis, roses, hellebores....) BTW, dehydrated manures are sometimes available bagged, and while much more expensive than the box-store bagged "manures", add much more fertility and tilth to the soil IMO.

Honestly, I have no real knowledge about mushroom allergies. But, most allergies are triggered by a protein in the allergenic substance - the protein is the allergen. If it were me I would avoid contact with the soil as I would suspect it of possibly containing the protein/allergen. The likelihood is probably low, but there is some level of risk. The food issue is not uptake (I don't know of plants taking in soil bound proteins), but if the offending allergen is soil resident then there is a risk of food contamination from soil contact. The greatest risk would most probably be with root vegetables, then low-growing leafy stuff (lettuce, spinach, etc.), then the higher growing fruiting stuff (peppers, tomatoes). If the produce was well washed I would guess that it wouldn't be a problem, but it's a guess. edit - meant to add. you sure are lucky to have a source of SMS. I used to live about 15 miles from a major mushroom center, and the spent stuff is incredibly good compost. This post was edited by TXEB on Tue, Apr 23, 13 at 19:10

The current price is $5 per truck load. They have a website with their address posted on it so your friend can mapquest directions.