Ginseng, forest plants and mushrooms grown at organic Mayapple Farms

Oct 21, 2024

I recently visited the Mayapple Farms, operated by Jan and Rick Felumlee and their children, Elijah and Emma. It's a small certified organic farm in Cass Township.

One aspect of their operation is called forest farming. It’s sustainable in they only harvest a small portion of any one kind of plant. The plan is to work with nature. They cultivate additional plants to help reestablish plants to increase their numbers. They allow plants to grow together, as certain plants grow well alongside certain other plants.

They raise these plants to sell. Some plants have been known to have medicinal properties. The Felumlees don't sell them for that purpose. It's up to the buyer to have the reason for purchasing a plant.

Ginseng is native to their property, but in 2017,100,000 seeds were planted. They take seven years until harvest. I've read in some Appalachian-based books about people going into the woods to dig sang. It has been overharvested in some areas and is rare.

This farm is named after the Mayapple that grows and blooms in the spring. Some other plants growing in the woods are trillium, black cohosh, blue cohosh, paw paw, goldenseal and blood root. The root is the useable part of most of these plants. Ramps, a type of onion, grows wild in the woods and like other plants only 10% is harvested. There are paths mowed in the woods, so it's not like walking in a jungle.

Fungiculture or mushroom growing is the main enterprise of this farm. For outdoor growing, half inch holes are bored in lengths of hardwood logs, freshly cut and uniform in size. Mushroom spores are inoculated into the holes and sealed over with cheese wax. These logs are placed in an order on the ground in a shady area. They produce for about seven years. I was there on a hot day and did not see many mushrooms. They don't like hot, dry weather.

The Felumlees have at another location, an indoor facility for growing mushrooms that is climate controlled. Some of their mushrooms are Shiitake, the most popular, and others are various oyster mushrooms. Those are grey dove, king oyster, black peal and lion's mane tooth. Chanterelle mushrooms grow wild. Containers used to put the mushrooms in to sell are compostable.

The family goes to four farmers markets each week with mushrooms and forest plants. Other items in season are goumi berries, blueberries and garlic. The soft stemmed garlic are braided into an attractive piece that can hang as a decoration and then use the garlic bulbs as needed.

This small farm and lovely home are situated on a wooded, hilly location and perfect for this type of agriculture. I asked about problems with deer and other wildlife. They said no problem, because of two large dogs on the property.

Iris Eppley is a member of the Farm Bureau Council.