Every enterprise at Roots & Spores is tested, documented, and refined before scaling. These are the active development projects driving the farm forward. For current operational snapshots, see Farm Updates.
Identify which gourmet mushroom species perform best across colonization speed, yield, contamination resistance, shelf life, labor demand, and buyer response — then scale the winners, maintain limited specialty lines, and discontinue underperformers.
Standardized trials are underway for Blue Oyster, Black King Oyster, Lion's Mane, and Chestnut. Agar and liquid-culture work supports ongoing culture expansion. Each species is tracked against a consistent set of metrics including substrate performance, fruiting time, harvest weight, and commercial usability.
Every species is assigned one of four outcomes: scale production, maintain as limited specialty, continue trial for additional data, or discontinue. No species stays in the lineup by default.
Outdoor mushroom trials, including morel research and test-bed development, are planned as conditions and infrastructure allow. These are multi-year research projects, not near-term revenue sources. Additional medicinal and specialty species will be trialed using the same measured framework.
Test controlled-environment vertical production of lettuce, culinary herbs, and salad greens through complete crop cycles. Generate labor, input, yield, and cost data to determine whether and how to scale.
The concept uses pallet-rack-supported growing space inside a high tunnel — making more efficient use of the available footprint while maintaining climate control. Final engineering, structural loading, water, ventilation, electrical, heating, and food-safety requirements will be validated before full buildout.
Prepare: configure one vertical unit or pallet-rack bay with drainage, access, water, lighting, and sanitation. Propagate: standardize trays and track germination and transplant survival. Produce: run complete crop cycles and document all inputs and outputs. Sell: offer limited harvests to test demand and pricing. Scale: add capacity only after margin and production reliability are documented.
Leaf lettuce, salad greens, basil, cilantro, parsley, dill, and other compact culinary herbs. Tomatoes and peppers may be added after the environmental system is proven.
Develop distinctive blue, green, olive, brown, and speckled egg production lines from heritage-breed ducks, chickens, and quail. Build productive, healthy flocks for premium table eggs, hatching eggs, chicks, and specialty chef packs.
Active incubation underway with heritage-breed flocks. Hatch results are being measured for fertility, vigor, and production potential. The current genetics cycle will determine the next breeding selections — including potential Black Copper Marans and Welsummer lines. Expansion is tied to performance data, available housing, sex ratios, and market demand.
This is a disciplined development program, not a rapid scale-up. Each incubation cycle generates data that shapes the next. Quality, consistency, and flock health come before volume. Initial egg availability will be announced through the harvest list and farm updates.
Detailed production statistics, milestones, and operational updates are published in dated farm updates — not on permanent pages.
Read Farm Updates →