Anything But Green Gardens

Growing mushrooms in her backyard barn started out as a hobby for Brien Osborn, owner of Anything But Green Gardens in Vinton, Iowa. But one woman’s hobby turned into a booming cottage industry once the folks at area farmers’ markets got a taste of these locally-grown lion’s mane, shitake, and yellow, blue, and pink oyster mushrooms. In 5-6 foot long bags hanging from the ceiling of her barn’s well-misted rooms, a stunning variety of ‘shrooms are cultivated for a harvest of up to 300 lbs. per week. “No one ever grows up thinking ‘I’m going to be a mushroom farmer,’” Brien laughs, “it just kind of happens!” Now, as it happens, she’s providing a multitude of mushrooms for New Pioneer, along with asparagus in the spring, and having a great time doing it.

 

For more photos of New Pi's visit to Anything But Green Gardens, check out our Flickr site here.