Hey there! Hope you had a safe, fun-filled Fourth of July! Kelley here—your one-and-only Rich Life Farm & Fungi newsletter writer and proud team member. I’m lucky enough to work alongside Emalee and Pete, whose heart and hustle built this gourmet mushroom farm from the ground up. We grow nutrient-rich, flavor-loaded mushrooms right here in the Cincinnati area for your culinary delight. Thinking about joining the Blue Oyster Cult? Too late, you already did by opening this email. Let’s get into the good stuff!

The crew takes a tour

Have you heard of Greenacres Farm? This sprawling 600 acres of forest and farmland in Indian Hill is a hub of education, research and preservation. Their mission is:

• To preserve for the public an area reflecting the traditional environment of Indian Hill and its historical significance by preserving Greenacres in its current state of woodland and farmland.

• To preserve the integrity of all land owned and purchased by Greenacres Foundation in order to encourage conservation and appreciation of nature by providing the public, particularly children, opportunities to study plant and animal life in their natural settings.

• To encourage appreciation of music and culture by providing facilities and an atmosphere that will encourage artists to display their talents for all age groups.

We were shown around vegetable production by Janie, Greenacre’s Apprentice Coordinator. We sauntered through the most mesmerizing antique, yet functional, glass greenhouse and through beds of native wildflowers flowers to get to the high-production vegetable gardens. Here we saw the team harvesting greens and noticed the garden plots sectioned off for cover crop research projects and for apprentice experiments.

After that, Leah met us for the livestock part of the tour, who further emphasized the amount of research the Greenacre Foundation conducts. One extensive project is focused on the variation in the nutritional quality of U.S. grass-fed beef supply chain. Since Greenacres is a well funded farm, they have the flexibility to conduct these impactful, time-consuming (and sometimes failing) farm projects in order to advance the practices of other farmers across the region.

We enjoyed seeing a diverse and large-scale farm, we encourage you to check them out. If you want a tour of your own, join them on the morning of July 19th for just $1. Reserve your spot HERE.

Class is in session

For the third year in a row, Cincinnati State’s Fruit and Nut Production class has taken a trip out to Rich Life Farm & Fungi to see how mushroom cultivation works. Pete and Emalee explained to the students the specifics of growing mushrooms, from spawn creation to substrate procedures, and fruiting best practices with hands-on experience.

The class is one of Dr. Alan Wight’s, who is passionate about sustainable food programs. Dr. Wight and his team has created Cincinnati’s Foodshed: An Art Atlas. A visually stunning and thought-provoking exploration through the past, present, and future of the Cincinnati Tristate region's food economy. This collection blends artistic storymaps, historical insights, and community-driven research to celebrate the people, innovations, and businesses that have shaped the local food movement. With contributions from farmers, chefs, activists, and artists, the Atlas serves as both a beautiful artifact and a call to action for anyone passionate about creating a more sustainable and equitable food system. Check it out HERE.

Science Corner

One of Ohio’s own young scientist is making waves in fungi research. Corinne Hazel, an environmental microbiology major at West Virginia University and Goldwater Scholar from Delaware, Ohio, discovered the new fungal species growing in morning glory plants. She named it Periglandula clandestina.

She was researching with Daniel Panaccione, Davis-Michael Professor of Plant and Soil Sciences at the WVU Davis College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, on how morning glories release protective chemicals known as “ergot alkaloids” through their roots when she found signs of the fungus. They ran it through a DNA genome sequencer and confirmed the discovery of a new species.

Periglandula clandestina is highly efficient at producing ergot alkaloids and compounds similar to the semisynthetic drug LSD, which is used to treat conditions such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and addiction. This is a a long-awaited discovery and a beginning point for future pharmaceutical development.

Fungus created penicillin, maybe the next big thing is with Periglandula clandestina? You go, Corinne Hazel! Read more HERE.

Mushroom of the Month: Chanterelle

Calling all mushroom hunters, it’s time to get into the woods! Chanterelles are here.

The chanterelle is a beautiful and aromatic mushroom that can be found in the summer and fall across North America. In the Midwest, Chanterelles are orange in color and strongly associated with oak trees. Chanterelles have wavy cap edges with long ridges running down the stem. The stem is solid and slightly more pale than the cap. Follow your nose! Chanterelles give off a fruity, almost apricot-y smell.

The mushrooms that you forage do need to be washed to get rid of the dirt and bugs. If your harvest is relatively clean, a light rinse of cold water with a brush might do. But if you have some more mature mushrooms with insects that tried to eat the mushroom before you got there, soaking in salt water is a sure way to rid yourself of buggy bites.

The apricot smell comes through in their flavor. Chanterelles have a delicious, fruity umami tang to them and have a nice texture. They pair very well with white meats and fish, pastries, and pastas with cream or butter. They can even be in sweets. Last year we shared a Chanterelle ice-cream recipe.

If you find yourself lucky enough to have too many chanterelles to eat before they rot, you can preserve them a myriad of ways. Sauté and freeze them, pickle them, or freeze-dry the lot for future rehydrating and cooking.

As always, please be careful when foraging. Ask a professional for a proper ID, get a second and third opinion and be smart. Every mushroom is edible, but sometimes only once!

Recipe: Summer Pasta with Zucchini, Mushrooms, Ricotta & Basil

Here’s what you need:

• Olive Oil

• 1 medium bag of mixed mushrooms from Rich Life Farm

• 1 onion, finely diced

• 2 pounds zuchini, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick-pieces

• 2 garlic cloves

• 1 ounce basil

• 1 pound ziti or other pasta

• 8 ounce ricotta (about 1 cup)

• 2 ounces of grated parmesan

• Zest of 1 lemon

• Pinch of crushed red pepper

• Salt and pepper

Here’s how:

1. Put a pot of water on to boil. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the onions in olive oil until softened, 5 to 8 minutes. Reduce heat to keep onions from browning. Add zucchini and mushrooms, season generously with salt and pepper, and continue to cook stirring occasionally until rather soft, about 10-14 minutes. Turn off heat.

2. Meanwhile, use a mortar and pestle (or small food processor) to pound garlic, basil and a little salt into a rough paste. Stir in 3 tablespoons of olive oil.

3. Salt the pasta water well and put in the pasta, stirring. Boil per package instructions but make sure to leave the pasta al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of cooking water.

4. Add cooked pasta to the zucchini and mushroom in skillet and turn hear to medium-high. Add 1/2 cup cooking water, then ricotta, crushed red pepper and lemon zest, stirring. Check for season and adjust. Cook for 1 minute more. Mixture should look creamy, add a little more pasta water if necessary. Add the basil paste and half the grated cheese and quickly stir to incorporate. Spoon pasta into warm soup plates and sprinkle with additional cheese. Serve immediately.

Refreshing, seasonal and tasty! Enjoy.

Partner Spotlight: Two Seven Two Bakery

Two Seven Two is a small bakery located in the historic Clifton gaslight community. They highlight seasonal midwestern produce and ingredients in their pastries, sourdough breads and beverages. We know they use seasonal produce because they visit the Northside Farmer’s Market every week to pick up their goods.

Their matcha is top notch and the mushroom pastry is the best bite of savory goodness. If you need a caffeine buzz, give Two Seven Two your business. You won’t regret it! They are open every morning except Mondays.

Farm Photoshoot

At the end of each newsletter we reward you for making it this far with a random farm fact. Recently, we had photographer, Jon Medina grace us with his photo skills. He captured the mushroom’s drama and texture, plus got some sweet shots of us and the facility. We are so stoked to have met such a cool guy with such talent. Here are some of our favorites pictures. Shout out Jon!

Thanks for tuning in!

#liveyourrichlife

Instagram: @richlifefarm

Facebook: Rich Life Farm and Fungi