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The Mushroom Shop offers fungi for every season

October 19, 2021 By marketeditor

By Emily Meagher

Jacob Howard of The Mushroom Shop at the market, photo by Emily Meagher

Saratoga’s Wednesday farmers’ market, which concludes its 2021 season at the end of October, is a gem for finding less conventional varieties of fresh, local produce. This season, a crowd favorite has been the diverse offering of seasonal mushrooms by The Mushroom Shop, a new vendor.

Partners Jacob Howard and Elise Olsen have always enjoyed gardening, growing vegetables and flowers, and keeping houseplants. About six years ago, they decided to try growing something new, one of their favorite ingredients to cook with: mushrooms. That hobby turned more serious this past winter when a local farmer offered a part of their land in Salem to build a proper mushroom farm. Thus The Mushroom Shop began.

Elise Olsen tending to the mushroom crops, photo provided

The past year has been full of learning curves for the young farmers. Through the seasons, weather affects how mushrooms grow – even in a controlled environment. To provide fresh, quality products, they don’t sell mushrooms cut more than three days before markets, so preparing the crop for harvest close to market days can be challenging.

The unpredictability of the crop also makes for happy surprises. This summer, Howard and Olsen changed the recipe for the medium they use to grow their fungi. The lion’s mane variety took very well to this change – just 4 of the mushrooms weighed over 15 pounds!

An abundance of lion’s mane wasn’t a problem for the couple since it’s their favorite variety to cook.

“It’s so versatile. Its tender, meaty texture makes for a great seafood substitute, perfect for recipes like lion’s mane “crab” cakes, “shrimp” scampi, or hearty chowder. Or cook it like steak by searing thick slabs in a cast-iron skillet or on the grill,” says Howard.

Mushroom offering at the market, photo by Emily Meagher

The Mushroom Shop offers a variety of seasonal mushrooms, both farm-grown and foraged during the couple’s woods walks in Salem. Their products also include dried mushrooms, mushroom seasonings, and grow kits.

This November, The Mushroom Shop will join the Saratoga Farmers’ Market’s winter season at the Wilton Mall with 50 other local vendors. Howard and Olsen look forward to sharing their enthusiasm for all things fungi with market customers, who can expect to see several new cold-weather varieties at their stand this winter, like enoki, beech, black pearl oysters, king trumpets, and nameko.

This week’s recipe: Lion’s Mane Scampi

Filed Under: Featured Article, homepage feature, News Tagged With: farming, foraging, fungi, grow kits, lions mane, mushrooms, new vendor, Salem, seasonings, summer 2021, The Mushroom Shop, winter 2021/22

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Today is the day for the Monday Market! Start you Today is the day for the Monday Market!

Start your week with us in Clifton Park from 2 pm to 5 pm for fresh produce and great finds. 

We are your stop to support locally grown and produced foods/items and we love all of our weekly visitors!

#cliftonparkfarmersmarket #cliftonparkny #saratogafarmersmarket #saratogafarmersmarket🔆 #supportlocallygrown #supportlocallyproduced
Here we are….it’s officially fall! Check out Here we are….it’s officially fall!  Check out this week’s recipe at our site and head over to grab the fresh products at the market to give it a try…

What’s happening at the market today? We have live entertainment as you wander, explore and discover …

Saratoga Farmers’ market 9 am to 1 pm

Pumpkin Painting 11 am to 1 pm

Saratoga Pumpkin Festival 11 am to 4 pm

https://www.saratogafarmersmarket.org/category/seasonal-recipes/

#saratogafarmersmarket #saratogafarmersmarket🔆 #pumpkinrecipesplease #fallishere🍁 #giantpumpkinfestival
Market days are some of the best days and we are h Market days are some of the best days and we are here for it from 9 AM to 1 PM this Saturday at High Rock Park.  This week is extra special as we celebrate the Pumpkin Fest. 

Here's the schedule:

9 am to 1 pm Saratoga Farmers' Market
11 am to 1 pm Pumpkin Painting
11 am to 4 pm Giant Pumpkin Festival

Learn more here: https://www.saratogafarmersmarket.org/celebrating-fall-at-the-8th-annual-pumpkinfest/

This is a collaborative effort with Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce and @saratogacitycenter 

#saratogafarmersmarket #saratogafarmersmarket🔆 #shoplocalsaratoga #supportlocallygrown #supportlocallyproduced #saratogapumpkinfest #giantpumkinfestival
We are also hosting a children’s pumpkin paintin We are also hosting a children’s pumpkin painting event from 11 am to 1 pm for ( $8 donation). The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is a 501(c)3 and these small fundraisers help to support our free educational programming, intern program, emergency farm fund, etc 

Our activities are in conjunction with the Saratoga Pumpkin Festival this weekend - Saturday, September 23rd!

What’s happening?

Saratoga Farmers’ market 9 am to 1 pm

Saratoga Pumpkin Festival 11 am to 4 pm

This is a free family event that starts at the Saratoga City Center parking garage on High Rock Avenue and continues down to the Saratoga farmers Market.  This is a community collaboration with the Saratoga county chamber of commerce, Saratoga Springs city center and the Saratoga Farmers’ Market.

We look forward to seeing you Saturday!

#saratogafarmersmarket #saratogafarmersmarket🔆 #saratogapumpkinfest #saratogapumpkinfestival #giantpumpkinfestival #giantpumpkinfestival2023

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