Dryad Grove Mushrooms
Where fungi, family, and the forest meet.
Origin Story & Identity
We got started in the mushroom business by chance really. It all started in April of 2020, a time we all remember well. Jason, his dad Mike, and our son Henry went down to Lake Weatherford to get out of the house. They came across a gorgeous flush of pearl oyster mushrooms growing out of a tree. So they cut it off, brought it home, safely identified them and ate them. They were so delicious, they went back a week later to see if they could find more, but unfortunately, all the mushrooms were gone. That’s when they had the idea to try growing them on our own. The University of Youtube was a great teacher, and with lots of reading, trial and error, we finally got mushrooms to start growing!
We eventually got to the point where we had too many mushrooms and needed a place to sell them. We were fortunate enough to get into the Clearfork Farmers Market in Fort Worth, one of our first markets, and have since grown to many other markets as well. We are an almost entirely family run business. We do have one non-family booth manager that runs our booth during the summer in Mineral Wells, but otherwise, it’s all family run! And we would count her as family if we could, she’s amazing! Even our 15 year old son has been working the markets since he was in middle school.
Fun fact:
Before mushrooms, we made longbows and recurve bows. Jason started designing and making them at age 15. We had a business named Dryad Bows, and that’s where the Dryad comes from. A Dryad is a nymph that inhabits trees, especially oak trees. In literature, their job is to protect the woods. That’s what mushrooms do! Did you know that the largest mushroom on earth covers over 2300 acres, is between 2,500-8,500 years old and is in Oregon. It’s a honey fungus mushroom that has been growing since long before we were around!
What all do you grow/produce?
We grow gourmet mushrooms including but not limited to: Blue oyster, pearl oyster, white oyster, royal trumpet, pippino, lion’s mane and chestnut. Some of these are seasonal and grow better at different times of the year. In our culinary line, we offer a variety of seasonings all using oyster mushroom powder with no filler (no salt!). This includes oyster mushroom, Italian, garlic, umami, and taco. We also make mushroom jerky that comes in two flavors: Spicy teriyaki and sweet teriyaki. Our last (for now) culinary item our mushroom broth.
On our medicinal/functional mushroom side, we offer a variety of extracts/tinctures. They have all been dual extracted to ensure premium potency. We use an alcohol extraction followed by a hot water extraction process to get all the good stuff our of the mushroom and ready for you to digest. We offer the following individual extracts: lion’s mane, oyster mushroom, reishi, cordyceps, turkey tail, and one that is a blend of them all called Myco Immune.
We also offer a variety of blends at a 1:5 extract ratio, the highest you can get in liquid form. These blends include: MycoShe+, MycoMen+, MycoMind, Chill Mode, and Rocket Fuel. We also offer a variety of gummies if that is how you like to take your supplements. We currently offer gummies in the following: Lion’s Mane, Rocket Fuel, Reishi, and Myco Immune. We also have infused honey that comes in the following: Lion’s Mane, Reishi, Chill Mode, Rocket Fuel and Cordyceps.
What are you most proud of producing?
I would have to say our extracts. The reason is they have changed so many lives for the positive. Not a week goes by that I don’t have someone stop me at the market and thank me for getting them on mushroom extracts. They are life changing! I personally went from severe brain fog to being able to help run a business. Every time we hear another success story, it just further reinforces that we are in the right business and we are doing the right things.
Shop Dryad Grove Mushrooms
Mushroom Broth (16oz or 32oz)
Mushroom Broth (16oz or 32oz)
$8.00 USD
Sale price
$8.00 USD
Regular price
Philosophy & Practices
How would you describe your growing or land-stewardship philosophy in your own words?
At Dryad Grove, we believe food should be grown with intention and respect for the land. Our philosophy centers around sustainable, all-natural practices and producing food that is fresh, nutrient-dense, and grown close to the community it serves.
Mushrooms are nature’s recyclers, and that idea really guides how we think about land stewardship. We try to work with natural systems rather than against them—using responsible growing practices, minimizing waste, and always looking for ways to give back to the soil and the local ecosystem.
For us, it’s not just about growing mushrooms. It’s about supporting local food systems, educating our community about the power of fungi, and helping people reconnect with where their food comes from. We’re a small family farm, and everything we do is rooted in the belief that healthy land and healthy communities go hand in hand.
That philosophy shows up in the way we grow every day. We focus on clean, controlled cultivation methods that allow us to grow high-quality mushrooms without chemicals or unnecessary additives. Our substrates are simple and natural, typically made from hardwood and agricultural byproducts that would otherwise go to waste, allowing the mushrooms to do what they do best—turn natural materials into nutritious food.
We also try to be very intentional about efficiency and waste reduction. Spent mushroom blocks don’t go to the landfill; they are reused in gardens, compost, and soil-building projects. Because we sell primarily through local farmers markets and community partnerships, our mushrooms are harvested fresh and go directly to the people who will eat them.
At the end of the day, our goal is to grow food in a way that is responsible, transparent, and rooted in community.
What’s something about your practices (soil care, animal care, sustainability, etc.) that most people don’t know — but should?
If someone is growing mushrooms and using a lot of chemicals to do so, they’re doing it wrong. Mushrooms are a very natural, clean food. They don’t require pesticides, filler or anything that might be dangerous to consumers. We are even very careful about the cleaning materials we use. If you aren’t growing mushrooms naturally, you probably aren’t growing mushrooms.
What’s the biggest challenge of growing food the way you do?
One of the biggest challenges is simply the time and care it takes to grow food this way. When you focus on quality, freshness, and responsible practices, there really aren’t many shortcuts. Mushrooms have their own timeline and conditions they need, and a lot of the work is very hands-on.
Another challenge is that small farms like ours are working on a much smaller scale than large commercial producers. We grow, harvest, process, and sell everything ourselves, so it takes a lot of coordination and long days to keep everything running smoothly.
That said, we believe the extra effort is worth it. It allows us to provide food that is fresh, thoughtfully grown, and directly connected to the community we serve.
Daily Life & Personal Connection to the Work
What’s your favorite part of the work you do every day?
Getting to check on the mushrooms every day to see how they are coming along. It is so much fun watching them grow! Have you ever seen a mushroom grow? Go check out a time lapsed video, it’s pretty amazing.
What’s your favorite way to enjoy something you grow/raise?
One of my favorite ways to enjoy the mushrooms we grow is in a simple, comforting soup. When you start with good ingredients, you really don’t need to do much to make something delicious.
I love using our mushroom broth as the base, then adding fresh oyster mushrooms, a little garlic, onions, and whatever vegetables I have on hand. Let it simmer for a bit and finish it with a splash of cream or a sprinkle of fresh herbs. It’s simple, nourishing, and it really lets the flavor of the mushrooms shine.
Honestly, some nights the best meal is just sautéed oyster mushrooms with butter, garlic, and a little salt and pepper served over toast. Simple food done well is hard to beat.
What are you excited to grow, offer, or dream up for the future of your farm?
We are not far off from being able to offer individual honey packets that include mushroom extract in them. They will be great for pre and post workout or just to get your day started. We are really excited about being able to offer that. But overall, just being able to offer more fresh mushrooms to the community is our biggest goal right now.
Slideshow
