My Story
From the First Mushroom
to the Marketplace
Twenty-two years of boots on the ground, one ridge at a time. This is the story of Lucky Mushroom.
"The forest became a second home, and mushrooms became a language I could read."
The Hobby That Became a Calling
I started picking mushrooms twenty-two years ago, long before I ever imagined building a business around them. Back then it was just a hobby, a way to get outside, explore the Blue Mountains of the Umatilla National Forest, and learn the land one ridge, one slope, one species at a time.
Over the years, that curiosity turned into skill. I learned to identify more than twenty edible species, each with its own season, habitat, and personality. The forest became a second home, and mushrooms became a language I could read.
Eventually, I noticed something: people in my area needed mushrooms, and the few who picked them didn't always have buyers. So I started selling small amounts to local residents and a couple of restaurants. It wasn't a business yet, just a way to share what I loved and help people access fresh, local mushrooms they couldn't get anywhere else.
Umatilla National Forest · Blue Mountains
Growth, Then the Crash
As time passed, demand grew. More restaurants reached out. More buyers wanted reliable supply. I kept learning, kept exploring, kept expanding my knowledge of the forest. For a while, everything was moving in the right direction.
Then COVID hit.
The shutdowns devastated my business overnight. Restaurants closed, buyers disappeared, and the entire local supply chain collapsed. For a while, it felt like everything I'd built was gone.
"There weren't enough mushrooms being supplied to meet demand, and pickers had no reliable buyers for the mushrooms they did find. The system was broken on both sides."
The Idea That Became Lucky Mushroom
When the restrictions lifted, something unexpected happened. I connected with a local cultivator who bought every mushroom I could pick. Through that relationship, I saw the truth clearly, and that's when the idea for Lucky Mushroom started forming.
I wanted to build a reliable chain for my area. Something that would give buyers consistent, trustworthy supply. Give sellers a real outlet for their mushrooms. And give me the freedom to spend more time foraging, learning, and expanding into harder-to-find species.
Lucky Mushroom was born from that need. But it's grown into something bigger.
What We're Building
A Regional Ecosystem
Lucky Mushroom is becoming a place where wild foragers, cultivators, chefs, retailers, and everyday buyers can finally connect through a stable, governed supply chain.
Consistent supply for buyers
Reliable access to verified wild mushrooms, with no more uncertainty about what's available or where it came from.
A real outlet for sellers
Foragers and small growers finally have a governed marketplace where every harvest finds a buyer.
A regional ecosystem
Wild foragers, cultivators, chefs, retailers, and everyday buyers, finally connected through a stable, governed supply chain.
Meaningful opportunity
Partnering with people who want land-based work, including training dogs to hunt truffles and building a dedicated hunting team.
The Next Chapter
With this foundation in place, the next chapter is already taking shape: training dogs to hunt truffles, building a dedicated hunting team, and partnering with homeless citizens who want meaningful work, giving them a real chance to rebuild their lives through land-based roles in foraging, logistics, and the supply chain.
I'm also continuing to deepen my knowledge of rare and difficult species, the ones most pickers never attempt because the learning curve is steep. That's exactly where I want to be.
Lucky Mushroom isn't just a marketplace. It's the future of how mushrooms move through this region, built from twenty-two years of experience, forest knowledge, and a genuine commitment to helping both buyers and sellers thrive.
This is my story. This is Lucky Mushroom.
Join the Community
Ready to be part
of something wild?
Whether you forage professionally or simply love cooking with the best ingredients, Lucky Mushroom is your home for rare, seasonal produce.
