Farming mushrooms and microgreens is not all smiles and laughs. Failure has played a significant role in the learning process, and 'never give up' is a motto I learned to embrace. I am forever grateful to my family who has been there every step of the way. My brother Richard designed our logo and has been a great resource for marketing and promotional information. He was also my roommate when the business started, along with his beautiful daughter Alyssa:) They graciously tolerated the clutter and weird smells for almost two years. My brother David made expanding commercially possible. He used his electrical engineering skills to automate my equipment, which allowed me to increase production without losing too much sleep. His help has been priceless on many projects. My mom has been my biggest fan and she always offered her support along the way. I owe a debt of gratitude to all my former colleagues. Having a flexible schedule made everything possible. I'm thankful for all the help and support over the years from everyone at the clinic. My warehouse space is owned by Skogen Inc. and they have been great to work with. I designed my space exactly how I needed it and they accommodated. The people from our area have been great, including chefs, business owners, farmer's market customers, and everyone in between. Our local food scene is legit and filled with passion. We live in a great place and I am thankful to be a part of it.

As I became more familiar with the local food biz, I was shocked to see local producers buy products and resell them as their own. Dakota Mushrooms and Microgreens only sells items that are grown and produced ourselves.

My work history dates back to my pre-teens. I started out like most kids by mowing grandma's lawn, but my first official job was washing dishes at the F&M Cafe in Madison, SD. Since then, I've worked at many other restaurants, construction companies, sales companies, production facilities, and medical laboratories. Unknowingly, I had been gaining practical knowledge at each job that has helped me on this venture. I also worked as a lifeguard in Madison, Sioux Falls, Spearfish, and Brookings. I was quite good at basking in the sun, but unfortunately those skills have not been useful. I graduated from SDSU in 2010. My studies were largely focused in Biology and Medical Laboratory Science. I currently work as a Medical Technologist in various Sioux Falls facilities, PRN. I love serving our local community. Thank you for visiting the website!