Spore Forge Farm

Spore Forge Farm We are a small mushroom farm just outside Elizabethtown, NC. We offer a variety of mushrooms from Lion's Mane to Oysters and all in between as we get them.

It's been a while since anyone has heard from us over here at Spore Forge. We had a busy last 2 months of 2025 and unfor...
01/07/2026

It's been a while since anyone has heard from us over here at Spore Forge. We had a busy last 2 months of 2025 and unfortunately a lot of it was tragic. A green mold infected our grow space that wiped out nearly all of our blocks. Any blocks we had left, we tossed outside in appropriate substrate with the hopes they would do better out there. Ultimately we lost all we had growing.

But! The outdoors seemed to be exactly what was needed to save what we had. Chestnut mushrooms and Namekos were planted in our emptied raised garden beds and both have produced. Not a lot, but enough to have hope. We also took our remaining Sh*take block and used it to plug some logs. They seem to be making good progress. We hope for a spring or summer harvest of those.

The outdoor method has been slower since it works more with what the mushroom would naturally desire in order to fruit. Meaning our mushroom production has essentially been halted. We do have 2 blocks of Lion's Mane enjoying the outdoors. We may have some Lion's Mane on hand to sell at some point. Stayed tuned!

Included is a picture of our bizarre but neat new mushroom, Nameko. I did the oopsy with these and soaked them to try to get the substrate off. Bad idea. I've learned my lesson. The mushrooms turned into jello 😆. But they are cool to look at.

We'll be having Reishi Mushrooms soon!
10/28/2025

We'll be having Reishi Mushrooms soon!

Welcome our lastest addition to Spore Forge, Poppy and Lily! Poppy and Lily and purebred French Angoras who are going to...
10/10/2025

Welcome our lastest addition to Spore Forge, Poppy and Lily! Poppy and Lily and purebred French Angoras who are going to provide us with natural, cloud soft fiber for spinning. Poppy is a blue bunny, and Lily is a lilac tort. Their fiber is incredibly soft and easy to spin in your fingers. I was making tiny threads with the tidbits of fur they were shedding on our way home. We are still raising mushrooms, and now bunnies!

10/09/2025

Stay tuned!!! We have some new things joining Spore Forge Farm!

10/06/2025

Spore Forge apologizes for the prolonged silence on this page. We've had a few incidences on the farm that has taken priority. Now, back to Mushroom Monday!

Today's mushroom is Reishi!
I'm sure you all have seen rough depictions of the famous shelf mushroom in trending fall home decor. Boho clothes. Or, maybe sketched on a journal cover at the bookstore. This shelf mushroom with its brick red to burnt orange cap and stark white edges is a recognizable feature in cottagecore, naturalist, and fine art nearly everywhere from video games like The Long Dark to actually using the young Reishi antlers in sculptures. But, their story doesn't end there.

Reishi is an incredibly useful mushroom for your health. It can't eatten like Lion's Mane. It has a dense, woody structure to its flesh. It does better as a powder, dried chunks for a tea, or tinctured. It has been used as a medicine as far back as 2,000 years ago and could have possibly been used farther back than that. The oldest documentation of using Reishi mushrooms as medicine comes from Asia where the mushroom is a native species in China. That is where it got the endearing nickname of the Mushroom of Immortality due to its ability to strengthen the immune system and prolong health.

Reishi is noted to have more than 400 nutrient compounds aiding in its ability to treat inflammation, insomnia, and other illnesses. It was also noted to be a mushroom that could bring balance to the body and mind with natural adaptogens that help reduce stress, anxiety, and aid in restful sleep. They also contain elements that help fight cancer and inhibit tumor growth. Granted these are not specific findings but a cumulative of benefits seen over time based upon the bioavailable elements found in the mushroom. I have to say that because this is a primarily medicinal mushroom. Other noted benefits are cardiovascular health, liver health, hormone balance, and antioxidants.

All in all, Reishi is a powerhouse of health benefits.

09/12/2025

Who wants recipes? Today I have a self tested recipe for Lion's mane. Lion's Mane crabcakes. Due to Lion's Mane's texture, they make the best seafood replacement for things like crab cakes, crab salad, stir fry and the like. The link below is for crabcakes I have personally tested. I used tallow for my frying oil though. You guys can use whatever oils you are comfortable with.

https://aubreyskitchen.com/lions-mane-mushroom-recipes/

We have some nice looking Lion's Mane!
09/10/2025

We have some nice looking Lion's Mane!

Happy Friday!
08/29/2025

Happy Friday!

Today's Mushroom Monday is the reason we are late with this post, Cinnabar Chantrelles. Cinnabars are only a a single su...
08/25/2025

Today's Mushroom Monday is the reason we are late with this post, Cinnabar Chantrelles.

Cinnabars are only a a single subspecies of Chantrelle mushrooms. There are a few others like the smooth chantrelles, yellowfoots, and golden goddesses just to name a few. Cinnabars though, are common in North Carolina. They are small, with a vibrant redish orange color, and dry cap. Like most Chantrelles they have false gills that fork close to the cap margines and wrinkle in between like fi*****ng ridges of mountains. They have an almost sweet scent and nutty flavor. One of their defining features when identifying them in the wild is the string cheese texture of their stem flesh. When you split one in your fingers the inside of the stem should be white and pull apart like string cheese. Another great thing about this mushroom is, once you find them they will always come back in the same spot year after year.

Chantrelles do have a toxic look-a-like, Jack-o-Lantern mushrooms. They grow around similiar hardwoods as Chantrelles. They are nearly the same color. The major difference is Jacks grow in clusters, sometimes dense cluster. They also have actual gills. The last defining feature of the deadly Jacks is they will glow in the dark. If you set up a camera with a long exposure at night, you will see the faint greenish glow illuminating their flesh. A phenomena I have yet to capture for my self. In the Chantrelle world, if it glows don't eat it.

Cinnabars, though small compared to the other Chantrelles, are a choice foraged mushroom. They work so well in so many different recipes from soups and stews to just eatting them sauted in butter and garlic. Just like other mushrooms in our Mushroom Monday, they too contain great benefits to the human body.

They support the immune system, are antioxidant, and support bone health since they contain both vitamin D and C. Their high fiber makes them great for the gut along with their anti inflammatory properties.

Got some more mushrooms developing! Pink Oysters are putting out a new flush. We should also have Sh*takes and Lion's Ma...
08/15/2025

Got some more mushrooms developing! Pink Oysters are putting out a new flush. We should also have Sh*takes and Lion's Mane soon.

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Elizabethtown, NC

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