CORVALLIS — Serendipity Farms in Corvallis is growing mushrooms and a vision for the future. With the farm, Gina Tiernan and Justin Nelson are looking to bring hard-to-find mushrooms to the Bitterroot.
“The world is desperate for healthy food,” Nelson said.
“And that’s what we hope, to help provide some,” Tiernan said.
For just under a year, they have been creating Serendipity Farms, one project at a time.
“This was formerly an equestrian center that we have had the vision, between the two of us, to turn it into a productive farm, growing lavender, mushrooms, flowers, vegetables, anything you can think of that will grow here,” Tiernan said.
This winter and spring, they've been focusing on mushrooms. It all started with a trip to Denver and plates of gourmet mushrooms. When they returned to the Bitterroot, they could not find all the mushrooms they wanted locally.
“We ate our way through the city and we just realized we need more organic local food here,” Nelson said. “We have the space and we have the motivation, so, you know, it's what makes us happy.”
They spent the winter preparing for their first batch. Nelson built the specialized environment that the mushrooms needed to grow. They started with oyster mushrooms, but plan to grow lion’s mane, turkey tail, cordyceps and reishi.
“We want to introduce people to, not only the gourmet mushrooms for eating, but medicinal mushrooms for health. I mean, because mushrooms are really good for you,” Tiernan said.
“And they're vegan, you know, there's a lot of vegans in the valley,” Nelson said, pointing to their protein content.
They plan to sell them to restaurants and chefs, as well as with their other produce at farmer’s markets, events and their farm stand set to open in June at their Corvallis farm. They sold mushrooms last week at an event in Missoula for Cancer Support Community Montana.
They also created a Facebook group, Bitterroot Farm Stand Network, to connect local producers with each other and customers. While working on the farm, they have leaned on neighbors from across the valley.
“We have our own little support group, you know, of just our cheerleading squad that are just like, ‘Go, go!'” Nelson said.
They have a lot of projects and plans across the farm, from more mushrooms to U-pick vegetables to, eventually, a wedding venue. But, right now, the roots are starting to take at Serendipity Farms.
“It's incredible because it's happened quickly. We just had the vision literally last July, I think,” Tiernan said. “It hasn't even been a full year yet where I looked out the window and I said ‘I see lavender growing out there’ and Justin's like, ‘I see mushrooms growing in there’ and I'm like, ‘Let's do it.’ And so here we are, we're doing it.”
