For Glen and Angel Roberts it’s fun to grow fungi.
Glen Roberts and Angel Miller have opened Florida Fresh Mushrooms, a mushroom farm in Plant City.
Located on North Wilder Road near the new hospital, the farm grows five different types of mushrooms: oyster, lion’s mane, chestnut, black poplar, king. They grow several different types of oyster mushrooms. “At any given time I have three different types of oyster mushrooms and 20 varieties in process but that doesn’t mean they’re all fruiting at the same time,” said Roberts.
The idea for building a small crop community first took root when the couple were trying to fill a void in their own diets. “Angel and I are both plant-based eaters and mushrooms are a significant replacement for meat,” said Roberts.
He spent most of last year at different culinary mushrooms farms throughout the country, learning their processes. He then built his own carefully controlled facility to replicate the environment needed to grow the delicate fungi. Their farm yields between 40 to 80 pounds of mushrooms a week.
Roberts is quick to point out that vegetarians aren’t the only people who love mushrooms. “A lot of meat eaters also like to eat mushrooms with their meat,” he said.
While Florida Fresh Farms’ customers are home chefs, he’s working with local businesses to include his mushrooms on their menus. “Right now we’re networking and connecting with other chefs and culinary folks who want to use farm fresh mushrooms,” he said.
Roberts said his customers fall into one of three categories. “One are lion’s mane fans because it’s very popular in the media right now,” he said.
Indeed, from Oprah Daily to TikTok, people are extolling lion’s mane mushrooms, whose appearance resembles the shaggy mane of a lion (hence its name) for its numerous nutritional and health benefits, including protecting against dementia, reducing inflammation and supporting the immune system.
“Then you have oyster mushrooms advocates because there’s so many varieties,” said Roberts. “Lastly, you have the people that love anything mushroom, if they can cook it they will.”
For more information or to place an order visit floridafreshmushrooms.com or visit its Facebook page at Florida Fresh Mushrooms and click on the “Shop Now” Botton to see what’s available and select a pickup date.
