Twin Sisters Find Their Purpose At Mayshrooms Urban Mushroom Farm

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, toilet paper and cleaning supplies topped the list of in-demand products. Then, as restaurant closures forced consumers to begin experimenting in the kitchen, locally grown ingredients, including mushrooms, started climbing the ranks.

“We believe the pandemic has had an impact on the way people view their health, which has resulted in many people eating smarter,” says Monica May, who co-owns Mayshrooms Urban Mushroom Farm in Largo with her sister, Megan May Martinez, and Megan’s husband, Adam. “It also seems that now people are more concerned with where their food is coming from and hoping for a more ‘farm-to-table’ experience.”

Spawning a Business

The twins say they always knew they wanted to start a business together. Growing up in Alabama, the two were active in their grandmother’s garden, which instilled a respect for agriculture and the land.

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“We wanted to incorporate our love for growing into our business and soon found the perfect option: mushrooms,” Monica says. “It allows us to take material that is usually thrown away, such as sawdust, and turn it into beautiful clusters of mushrooms.”

Megan and Monica built an indoor vertical farm at their home to create an environment for optimal mushroom growth. Mushrooms are grown using mushroom spawn in a specific growing material (like sawdust) and creating an incubation chamber for growth.

The sisters produce several mushroom varieties including lion’s mane (the most popular), king blue oysters, phoenix oysters and snow oysters. Occasionally, pink oysters, chestnuts and enoki enter the rotation depending on the season. All have various nutritional and medicinal benefits.

“Lion’s mane is a beautiful white mushroom that can be used as a crab or lobster substitute,” Megan says. “It has been said to have many medicinal benefits, which is why we also offer lions mane mushroom extract powder for those who want to try it as a supplement.”

Megan adds that mushrooms are also a great source of fiber, antioxidants, potassium, vitamins B and D, and protein.

“They’re also known to help prevent ailments such as diabetes, neurological disorders, heart disease and cancer, as well as having anti-inflammatory properties and the ability to boost gut health,” she says. “Each species of mushroom has their own medicinal properties.”

See more: Florida Farmers Grow Fresh, Seasonal Watermelon for Consumers Across the Country

Community Connection

The May sisters are two of just a few mushroom farmers in Florida and are proud to serve the local community.

“We sell our mushrooms wholesale through Life Farms CSA in Clearwater, at farmers markets, in produce stores and in co-ops,” Monica says.

Because they’re grown indoors, Florida mushrooms are available year-round. Megan says one of Mayshrooms’ goals is to promote buying local, sustainable products and teaching people more about local agriculture.

“Buying local is important for so many reasons,” Megan says. “It reduces carbon emissions that are caused by shipping product in bulk, plus the quality of mass-produced mushrooms just isn’t up to par with fresh mushrooms picked daily and delivered directly to the customer. There’s also a sense of transparency when you buy from a local farm. You know where your food is coming from, who is growing it, and if their practices are ethical. We do our best to promote buying local and attending farmers markets through social media and word of mouth.”

The sisters also visit local elementary schools to teach the next generation about growing mushrooms.

See more: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at How a Florida Farmer Grows Peanuts

Pandemic Pivot

Although many small businesses suffered from issues caused by the pandemic, Monica says Mayshrooms used the opportunity to change gears and grow the business.

“We were worried at the beginning because most of the local markets were shut down, and we did have some supply-chain issues,” she says. “But we took that opportunity to rebrand and create a line of shelf-stable products while still offering our mushrooms for delivery. Nothing went to waste as the mushrooms we weren’t able to sell were turned into dehydrated products and powders.”

The twins continue to serve their community with fresh, local mushrooms and mushroom products.

“We’ve truly fallen in love with what we do and continue to learn new ways to grow our business and meet the demand of our local community,” the sisters say.

See more: Florida Farmers Ensure Fresh-Market, Field-Grown Tomatoes Are Available Year Round