2023 Local Food Guide

BLACK TRUMPET FARM:
Spreading the Word
Gwen Englebach will tell you
that she and her farming
partner and husband, Jay, are
both shy. But talking to customers
each week at farmers markets
is a vital piece of their business,
Black Trumpet Farm, which
produces culinary and medicinal
mushrooms in Leicester, North
Carolina.
“Connecting with community
is part of our mission, the social
consciousness aspect of our
farm,” says Gwen. “The problem
with the current food system
is a lack of relationship to food
and where it comes from. It was
important to us at the ground
level to build those relationships.
We’re spreading the word about
mushrooms.”
That means patiently fielding
questions like, “Are mushrooms
safe to eat?” and “What is this?”
as well as describing flavor and
texture and building customer
confidence with cooking tips.
Most people are familiar with
shiitake, but there are half a
dozen other varieties they don’t
know, like pink or golden oyster,
pioppino, or lion’s mane.
“We’re going through all that
with each person, a few minutes
of conversation,” says Gwen.
“People have been asking about
nutritional content, and it’s more
than I can say in one minute, so
I’ve been bringing books with
me to show people scientific
research on why they might be
helpful. Mushrooms can be a
great alternative when people
are trying to cut back on meat.
Mushrooms have lots of umami
flavor, which allows folks to use
less salt. Mushrooms are also high
in fiber.”
Take-home recipe cards are
another way to gain mushroomeating
converts. Gwen points
to their most popular recipe for
lion’s mane crab cakes. Lion’s
mane—which look a little like a
furry head of cauliflower—are
shredded and mixed with herbs,
seasonings, egg, mayonnaise, and
bread crumbs for a convincing
vegetarian version of crab cakes.
“It’s a good one for people who
don’t think they like mushrooms,”
says Gwen. Jay, in particular, is
an avid home cook, and he’ll
walk through basic cooking
techniques to help customers
avoid slimy mushrooms.
Farmers market access programs
like ASAP’s Farm Fresh Produce
Prescription and Double SNAP
have helped bring in new
customers who may not be as
familiar with mushrooms. “We
can get mushrooms to people
in more of a sliding scale fashion
and develop relationships,” says
60 ASAP asapconnections.org