Chester County sustainable mushroom farm takes a dirt-free approach to mycology

Instead of strolling through pastures, let’s go down into the basement — a very spotless and sterile basement — to tour Woodland Jewel Mushrooms.

Pennsylvania’s Chester County has a deep history of small family farms, and it’s also a significant player in the mushroom industry in the United States. One mom-and-pop farm in Spring City is drawing on both of these histories.

“It’s definitely a very different type of growing,” explains Heather Fetter, who, with husband Norm, started the Woodland Jewel Mushroom farm two years ago.

“We do tell people we’re farmers, but when I think of that, I think of bucolic landscapes and earthworms and dirt. A lot of mycology science is very sterile and exacting, and there’s a lot of laboratory work that goes along with it.”

So, rather than strolling through pastures, The Pulse goes down into the basement — a very spotless and sterile basement — to take a tour of Woodland Jewel Mushrooms.