Mushroom Buddies provides employment for people with intellectual disabilities
Have you ever tried fresh, locally grown mushrooms? If you frequent farmers’ markets, you might have come across a group of individuals with special needs proudly selling mushrooms they’ve cultivated themselves. These freshly picked mushrooms come from Mushroom Buddies, a social enterprise run by persons with intellectual disabilities under the co-operative E4PID — short for Employment for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities.
We spoke with William Teo, a father to a child with intellectual disabilities and current chairman of E4PID, to learn how the initiative sprouted, and what it takes to grow mushrooms — and meaningful employment — in Singapore.
E4PID is the organisation behind Mushroom Buddies
E4PID is the co-operative behind Mushroom Buddies. Founded in 2011 by a group of parents of children with special needs, the aim was to improve the quality of life of their children and others with similar challenges.
While they believed that charities play an important role, these organisations often lack the business expertise to create long-term, sustainable employment. To change that, these parents opted to build a social enterprise that provides real jobs and salaries for persons with intellectual disabilities.
Their problem was clear: after graduating from special schools at 18, many individuals with intellectual disabilities struggle to find work. Even those who secure positions in open employment — workplaces where they interact with non-disabled colleagues — often face difficulties sustaining their jobs without adequate support.
“Like anyone else, persons with disabilities deserve to have options and opportunities to choose what kind of work they want to do,” William said. “Meaningful employment enhances their quality of life.”
Today, five of E4PID’s 10 board members are actively involved in running Mushroom Buddies, including William. As a co-operative, E4PID actively channels profits back to its members and employees, which means salaries are dictated by its earnings.
E4PID is also an affiliate member of the Singapore National Co-operative Federation (SNCF) — the national apex body that supports, represents, and connects co-operatives across Singapore.
From partnerships to independence: the early days of Mushroom Buddies
Starting as a pilot project in 2012 as a partnership with Everbloom Mushroom Farm, E4PID provided 12 persons with special needs the opportunity to work on the farm.
According to William, around 40% of persons with intellectual disabilities end up in day care centres without employment, while only a small minority sustain open employment, such as at retail outlets like Uniqlo, performing simple tasks.
“Without proper support, intellectually disabled individuals often lose their jobs,” he explained. “At E4PID, we aim to close the gap between open and sheltered employment.
In Oct 2021, Mushroom Buddies officially began life, supported by a container donated by waste management company Blue Planet.
Mushroom Buddies: growing with purpose
Today, Mushroom Buddies operates out of two container lots located at Sprout Hub, an urban farm and community space located in the former Henderson Secondary School building. One container serves as the farm, and the other is used for packing harvested mushrooms.
The team comprises eight workers with intellectual disabilities, supported by around 40 volunteers. A part-time supervisor, Ong Chin Wah, former chairman and co-founder of E4PID, helps oversee operations. The employees come from voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs) such as the Singapore Down Syndrome Association, MINDS, and St. Andrew’s Autism Centre.
Each morning, a rotating team of four to five volunteers works alongside the staff, fostering teamwork while allowing the employees to maintain independence in their tasks. Mushroom Buddies also collaborates with these VWOs to explore expanding its urban farming model into their premises.
According to William, sustainable open employment for persons with special needs remains a key challenge in Singapore, as conventional work environments often do not accommodate their abilities. At Mushroom Buddies, the focus is on a safe, patient, and flexible workplace, with manageable tasks that empower staff to thrive.
Many volunteers had never interacted with persons with special needs before joining the farm, but now work alongside them as true colleagues. William highlighted that this inclusive environment fosters a deep sense of community and camaraderie, boosting the self-esteem, mental well-being, and physical health of employees and trainees alike.
The business of mushrooms
Mushroom Buddies currently cultivates three premium mushroom varieties — pearl oyster, lion’s mane, and abalone mushrooms. These are priced around S$5.45–$9.90 a pack, depending on the variety. William acknowledged the premium price tag, but emphasised that much of the value comes from the hard work of the differently-abled individuals, who take ownership and pride in their responsibilities.
“We want to give our workers a sense of self-worth through a job that rewards them with a salary and allows them to be proud of their hard work.”
These mushrooms are temperate varieties less commonly found in Singapore, and are organic, pesticide-free, and freshly packed for sale within one to two days — unlike imported mushrooms that are often chemically treated for longer shelf life.
They purchase pre-inoculated logs (containing rice bran, sawdust, and mushroom spores) from a supplier in Malaysia. Once in Singapore, the mushrooms are allowed to fruit for about a week before harvesting. Each log yields mushrooms for three to five harvest cycles before being considered spent.
Some customers at farmer markets became Mushroom Buddies’ partners, where chefs decide to collaborate after learning the story behind their mushrooms. High-end restaurants form the main customer base, with Black Cherry and Yhingthai Palace among the notable stockists. On average, Mushroom Buddies produces 8–10 kilograms of mushrooms daily, and over 300 kilograms in good months.
Despite their short one-week shelf life, nothing goes to waste. Unsold mushrooms are turned into products like mushroom chips and pâté, available via their website or at farmers’ market pop-ups. Companies occasionally place bulk orders as gifts for employees. They also operate a donor scheme where surplus mushrooms and products are distributed to elderly homes and soup kitchens.
The by-products of mushroom farming — spent logs and food waste — are processed through a composter, demonstrating Mushroom Buddies’ zero-waste, circular farming model. The resulting compost is sold to customers like Gardens by the Bay, with proceeds reinvested into paying employees and sustaining the enterprise.
Employees typically work two to three hours a day, paid hourly, several weekdays a week, depending on their preferences and availability. They take charge of tasks such as harvesting, trimming, sorting, packaging, and cleaning. William recalls accommodating staff with particular needs — for example, a claustrophobic employee was given alternative tasks outside of the containers and became a long-term team member.
William highlighted: “This pseudo-sheltered model gives them flexibility. They can work with friends while socialising with non-disabled people in a supportive environment. We engineer our work to fit the staff we have.”
“We focus on their abilities instead of their disabilities,” he added.
By producing locally and sustainably, Mushroom Buddies also contributes to Singapore’s “30 by 30” goal — to produce 30% of the nation’s nutritional needs locally by 2030.
Collaborations and initiatives
Through a volunteer’s connection, Mushroom Buddies was introduced to Ground-Up Initiative (GUI), which offered them space at its new Yishun facility to establish their next farm and support expansion plans in 2026. They also plan to introduce more mushroom varieties at the new site with three climate-controlled containers.
To educate the larger society, Mushroom Buddies hosts farm tours, workshops, school and workplace presentations, and corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. These activities provide opportunities for the community to engage with sustainability and inclusion while learning about the benefits of mushrooms firsthand.
“At Mushroom Buddies, it’s not just about the business but also about educating the wider community about differently-abled persons and inclusion,” William said.
“People with or without disabilities sometimes do not know how to behave around one another due to a lack of interaction between the two groups. We want to increase that interaction with our work,” William highlighted. “We are proud that our workers, who initially came in reserved, later became more open and even try to engage with strangers after working with us.”
Mushroom Buddies has been recognised for its efforts in the past five years. Some achievements include winning three consecutive years of SFA-approved organically grown mushrooms and clinching Honeycombers Sustainability Awards — Silver winner for Best Sustainable Initiative with an Impact in 2024 and 2025.
Providing job opportunities for more persons with disabilities in the future
Looking ahead, the team is determined to scale up production.
Their long-term hopes are to increase wages, create more job opportunities for persons with intellectual disabilities, and eventually expand employment to include persons with other types of disabilities.
E4PID is also exploring other sectors to build social enterprises, providing more options for persons with disabilities to improve their quality of life. William speaks on behalf of parents with PWDs. On a larger scale, E4PID hopes that Singapore will become more inclusive and patient with persons with disabilities — through initiatives such as community care apartments and broader job opportunities — so everyone can live a fuller life.
- Find out more about Mushroom Buddies here.
- Read more stories we’ve written on Singaporean businesses here.
Featured Image Credit: Mushroom Buddies
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