Photo from Fat Top Farm
Mushrooms are full of nutrients are are delicious to eat, but few conscientious eaters know how they’re grown or where they come from. These magnificent fungi behave so differently from plants that they needed a separate certification, and Certified Naturally Grown was ready to fill the gap. Since launching our Mushroom Certification in 2016, we’ve certified several mushroom producers from coast to coast. Here’s an update on the mushroom growers of CNG and what they’re up to.
Fat Top Farm in Farmington, Arkansas
Recently certified, Fat Top Farm grows a variety of oyster mushrooms and lion’s mane. They are a significant local supplier to Ozark Natural Foods Co-op, which requires that all fresh produce growers are either Certified Naturally Grown or organic certified.
3G Mushrooms in Washington, Georgia
Producer Steven Bagwell has been growing oyster mushrooms for years and recently expanded his hobby into a thriving local business. He supplements his growing substrate with coffee grounds from local coffee shops.
Onatrue Farm in Port Townsend, Washington
On the Olymbic peninsula in Washington state, farmer Max Lindert grows a diversity of Certified Naturally Grown vegetables and uses his CNG corn cobs and bean stalks to grow oyster mushrooms. You can find them at local farmers markets throughout the year.
Image from Backbone Food Farm
Fortner Farms in Cleveland, Georgia
This mushroom farm grows a beautiful variety of mushrooms including shiitakes, oyster, and lion’s mane. Producer Raymond Fortner is a prolific wildcrafter as well, who harvests maitake, chicken of the woods, reishi and turkey tail mushrooms in the woods. harvests sustainably by only harvesting prime mushrooms (ones that are at the peak of their growth), making sure to not over-harvest, and always leaving the grounds undisturbed. You can find them at the Athens Farmers Market, which requires that vendors have Certified Naturally Grown or organic certifications.
Tiny House Farm in Augusta, New York
Ron and Ginny Delaney grow shiitakes, wine cap, oyster, and lion’s mane mushrooms on their small forest farm in upstate New York. The first mushroom growers to become CNG, Tiny House Farm was featured recently on our blog. Ron shares, “While USDA certification is certainly a draw to supermarket customers, many of the farmers we know still considered the associated paperwork and fees a headache not worth the stamp of the organic label...We want your trust and we are willing to earn it.”
If you know a mushroom producer who wants to earn a stamp of approval for their sustainable growing practices from our peer-to-peer certification, please share this farmer brochure and/or send them our way! Interested producers can take the first step by applying today.
