One of the newest farms at the Dallas Farmers Market is Texas Fungus (@texasfungus), but they aren’t your typical operation. This innovative team brings gourmet quality mushrooms, all grown in their 2000 sq ft facility in Arlington, directly to their Dallas customers. Texas Fungus got their start in the summer of 2018 when Adam stumbled upon a Facebook group focused on mushroom growing in DFW where he first connected with Jordan. The pair quickly realized there was a great opportunity to fill the need for unique locally grown mushrooms varieties in DFW farmer’s markets and restaurants. What started as a garage-sized project in Dallas Uptown producing 30-40 lb/week quickly expanded into a full-scale operation growing over 500 lbs of mushrooms per week by February of 2020 largely fueled by restaurant orders. While Texas Fungus co-owners, Adam and Jordan, are no new-comers to the farmers market, it was an interesting change of the times that led them to expand into the Dallas Farmers Market in March of 2020.
With such a successful start, Adam and Jordan were nearly blindsided by the effects of Covid-19. Within weeks, reliable restaurant orders came to a halt. Farmers, however, are known for their ingenuity so a new business model was hatched. Texas Fungus quickly expanded from 1 farmers market into 8 farmers markets in the DFW area including our Dallas Farmers Market. Local support and curious new customers kept the momentum going and eased some of the uncertainty of a shifting business model. Even months later, restaurant orders are minimal and the majority of traction comes from direct to consumer sales such as those as farmer’s markets. While disruption can cause setbacks, it often prompts us to think outside the box. Thanks to the challenge presented by surplus mushrooms, Texas Fungus is currently exploring dehydrated mushrooms, extracts, powders, and other shelf-stable products ultimately creating a more balanced and resilient business model.
Many folks in the DFW area aren’t as familiar with farmers market shopping and local foods as they are in say LA or NYC, however, that is beginning to change as customers look for healthy food options that keep their local economies afloat and offer safer ways of purchasing foods than crowded grocery stores. According to Adam, these local shoppers are critical for the survival of small businesses. “Without farmer’s markets, we wouldn’t be in business. Regulars at markets are our best advocates,” Adam explains, “they can tell friends about us, take pictures, share on social media, and show what they cook with our products.” These simple actions have a huge impact when it comes to spreading the word about your favorite farms and small businesses. The best news is, you’re still ahead of the curve when it comes to farmer’s markets in DFW – “We meet people weekly who don’t know about local food or didn’t know about the farmers market. If just 10% of DFW shopped at farmer’s markets, we would need 100 new farms!” says Adam.
While none of us would choose to go through Covid-19, we can be reassured that with adversity comes perseverance and many of us will come through stronger than when we started. We are more aware of our vulnerabilities, conscious of our community, and grateful for our opportunities than before. As we move into National Farmers Market Week, let’s remember that our community is more resilient when we are connected personally and economically. When small businesses thrive, we all do! Learn more about National Farmers Market Week: https://bit.ly/2BYLHZH
