Stropharia Mushroom Farm’s Jor’ El and Sheth Schustrin | Two Jersey Brothers Fight the Good Fight in Naples, Florida

Today I’m here in Naples, Florida, with brothers Jor’ El and Sheth Schustrin in Stropharia Mushroom Farm. Jor’ El originally began farming Lion’s Mane to help his stepfather combat Parkinson’s disease. At the time, he was working on a cook’s wages, supplying his father with mushroom supplements. “I began dosing him with Lion’s Mane capsules, and approximately how much on the capsules I was doing. I started with two a day, and then it worked up to six a day. I want to say there were 500-milligrams” After doing research online, he found its way more cost-efficient to grow the mushrooms himself.

Pastor Buddy Walker Jr Nurtures Hundreds in ‘Nature’s Hometown’, Umatilla, Florida

Deep in the backroads of Umatilla, Florida, an old citrus-growing town, I met with Pastor Bob (Buddy) Walker Jr about his urban garden, Empower School and Farm. Can I say OMG!!?? Yes, I completely lucked out on spending the afternoon with only the coolest Theologist and Director of this glorious cultivation program. What a perfect place in the ideal State to cultivate food out of love for the community, and what an incredible story Buddy had to share!

West Palm Beach, Florida Just Keeps Getting Better with Joseph and Tawna Chammas Saving Lives at Gratitude Garden Farm

It’s a busy day at the Gratitude Garden Farm, and we are here with owner Joseph Chammas to squeeze me in for an interview. As we weaved our way amongst the hustle, Joseph explained how he stepped into agriculture, “I bought this farm because I got really sick around 12 to 13 years ago. So I started growing my own food. Originally, I turned my whole backyard, my front yard, the side of my house into raised beds and grew my own food. And then it just kind of catapulted from there.

Hats Off to the Best Lion’s Mane Mushroom Coffee on the Market Straight from Tampa, Florida

Florida’s Fireman, Father, Farmer, Joseph Iovino, is a man of action. Cactus Hat Mushrooms is Tampa’s premier supplier, paving the wave with the freshest Fair Trade Organic Sumatra Gayo Coffee on the market with more Lion’s Mane in it than any other in the United States. His commitment and mission to living a healthy lifestyle have spread like mycelium, benefiting others in South Florida. So, when he realized the taste and health benefits from fresh mushrooms compared to store-bought mushrooms, he was on a new mission.

Aziz Dehkan | Lunch with New York City’s Community Garden Mastermind

Full disclosure: I am only having the honor of sitting here today because of my Uncle Bobby, who has been lifelong friends with Aziz and his incredible wife, Barb. Okay, here we go. Spending the afternoon with Aziz Dehkan was an absolute honor. This lovely man has significantly impacted urban agriculture, creating sustainable, nourishing gathering places in a megacity. But before we jump into that, let’s check out his roots. He went to Rutgers University and majored in biological sciences. His family’s originally from Iran; however, Aziz was born and raised in New York.

KC and Marilyn Crush It in Long Branch, New Jersey | Whitechapel Projects Offers the Freshest Gourmet Mushrooms Grown Right in the Restaurant’s Backyard

In the heart of Long Branch, New Jersey, you’ll find a unique space featuring a bar, farm, kitchen, and brewery at the Whitechapel Projects (WCP). Here the beachside city patrons enjoy the fresh and best from Two River Mushroom Co. Restaurateur, Chef, Humanitarian Marilyn Schlossbach partnered with Scientist, School Teacher, Farmer, KC Sullivan to deliver the finest fungi on the beach. Today, KC will be our tour guide.

Woodland Jewel’s, Norman Fetter, Offers Gold Nuggets of Fun-guy Wisdom Supplying Philadelphia, Pennsylvania’s Upscale Dining Establishments

2011 Norman and Heather Fetter founded an artisanal mushroom farm in Spring City, Pennsylvania, near Kennett Square, Mushroom-Capital of the world. They specialize in cultivating exotic, medicinal, and choice gourmet varieties of mushrooms for fine dining restaurants in the Philadelphia area, wholesale through Philly Foodworks, retail through Kimberly Whole Foods, and grow your own kits are available to the public via Etsy.

Kathi Lafferty Takes Us To a Whole ‘Nother Place in the Mushroom Capital of the World, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania

In 2004, Kathi Lafferty opened specialty mushroom store The Mushroom Cap in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, the Mushroom Capital of the World. She sells fresh mushrooms, gifts, collectibles, and gourmet products. Kathi shared, “More white mushrooms are grown in this concentrated area than any other place in the world. We’re up to about 70% of the button white production in the United States. We also have the largest exotic grower here in Kennett square. Some would think China has the most, but they didn’t start growing till about 30 years ago. We started in the late 1800s here” in Kennett.