We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Natalie Gerardot a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Natalie , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Innovation comes in all shapes, sizes and across all industries, so we’d love to hear about something you’ve done that you feel was particularly innovative.

Well, several years ago I needed more indoor growing space for my mushroom business to produce enough for sustainable profitability. We’re small and want to stay that way. Our goals are small and manageable and we’re not very materialistic as a family so we’re looking for a bigger grow but not a giant warehouse or anything like that. After browsing images and ideas, I decided a concrete or metal building would be best, as they don’t grow mold. I applied for a grant, and was awarded it, from WNC agoptions. I built two beautiful aircrete domes with my husband’s limited help. It is an original design and now after two years of production I can say they work amazing. I am strong and not scared of work but this was the first building I have built and the only concrete or aircrete I have used as well. I discovered a grow room material that is cheap, DIY friendly and can be used for many agricultural building applications.

Natalie , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Myco Rhizing was begun as a way to share sustainable food production, great gourmet and medicinal mushrooms, and sustain our family on our small farm. I have foraged mushrooms since I was a child. I learned to grow them as a twenty something and I find the ever changing process fascinating. Through a lot of health issues not being helped by modern medicine, I learned how certain fungi can help heal people through yummy food. As I am going through the healing process, I share this experience with others and strive to educate people about natural health. My mushrooms grow on locally milled sawdust or invasive plants to minimize the footprint of the farm and keep them pristine and unpolluted as many mushrooms are growing in polluted substrate. I also use interesting cropping containers instead of plastic bags- the industry standard – to reduce the plastic consumption of our family. My indoor grown mushrooms, as well as those I forage and some I grow outside, can be found at local farmer’s markets like Gladheart Market in Oakley, NC or can be picked up or delivered with a simple appointment.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

When I first went into business, I went to Mountain Biz works for business coaching. It was the best time I have spent on my business. My business coach is now a client and friend and still an important ally, as is the planning and funding information. I can’t tell you how often I know things, like how to properly calculate COGS, that other business owners don’t do.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Myco Rhizing is a pivot. I am a stay at home mom with a glass blowing husband. He’s always supported us but five years ago the market slowed so much he asked me to pick up a way to earn income. I started farming again – it was my career before our daughter – but chose mushrooms because everyone else grows veggies already! And now we’re busy busy. Business is great. But lots of choices – retail, wholesale, market or restaurants, etc that I am still constantly navigating. I can only grow so much so it’s important for it to find the right clients.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.mycorhizing.org
• Instagram: @mycorhizing, @fiberandfungi