Meet Gary Heferle | Gourmet Mushroom Farmer, Scientist and Entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Gary Heferle and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Gary, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Starting our own gourmet mushroom farm was an easy decision. I had been working in corporate America for some time building skills in medical laboratory science, supervising a microbiology lab and have always worked hard while saving money on the side to start our capital venture. I knew there was a ceiling when it came to growth working for someone else, so the hardest part of starting our business was deciding when. Eventually I was spending more and more time on my “hobby” which was cultivating unique culinary mushrooms. I posted some mushrooms one day on craigslist, got some interest and knew we had a viable product that was unique and had value in our community. Since then we have grown our business substantially and haven’t looked back.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Our business is constantly evolving and growing. We had the challenge of starting right before the pandemic and had to pivot numerous times to continue to serve our community and pride ourselves on that aspect. We are continuing to find rare and delicious species of mushrooms that are not found in grocery stores and are very excited for some of our newest varieties that we bred in house using highly sophisticated laboratory procedures. Our business operates on the perfect blend between technology, health and eco-friendly strategy which is a culmination of my personal values and beliefs. This is why I believe our business thrives is because it’s 100% authentic so I can focus on the customer and not really worry if we are doing the most profitable thing or not. Transparency to the customer and constant innovation for new varieties is what is at the heart of Fresh from the Farm Fungi.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
When I am not working diligently on our farm I like to visit the mountains and immerse myself in nature. Rocky Mountain National Park, Telluride, any of Colorado’s beautiful 14ers; all are my escape where I go to reset my mind and body and rejuvenate my soul.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My interest in mushrooms stems from hearing a lecture by the great Mycologist Paul Stamets. He came to CU Denver and gave a talk on the health benefits of mushrooms and it really inspired me to dive deeper into cultivation. I also am grateful for my mentor Anthony DeFranco at Niagara Falls Mushrooms. Early on he helped me to scale our process and answered a ton of questions until eventually I was on my feet.

Website: http://freshfromthefarmfungi.com

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