Hawk Meadow Farms Grows Healthy, Sustainable Mushrooms

By David Durrett – a current intern at GreenStar Food Co+op, David Durrett is a lifelong resident of Ithaca as well as a graduate of Ithaca College. He is a freelance reporter whose work has also appeared in Tompkins Weekly and The Ithaca Voice, among other publications. 

Hawk Meadow Farm’s Staff Mycologist, Emma Gutierrez will be at GreenStar Food Co+op’s 770 Cascadilla St. store on Saturday, Feb. 26, 3 – 6 PM to answer shopper’s questions about mushroom tinctures and share information about their products. Hawk Meadow Farm products are ON SALE at GreenStar – 10% OFF from February 25 – March 15, 2022!

Hawk Meadow Farm is a forest farm devoted to its mission of making healthy tinctures with naturally grown mushrooms and practicing agriculture that is in harmony with the land.

The current iteration of Hawk Meadow Farm was started in 2006, when a wind storm went through the woods, knocking down many large trees. This inspired owner Steve Sierigk to turn some of the downed trees into shiitake logs, and brought the mushrooms to market in 2008.

Steve said that the culture has shifted to become more accommodating of mushrooms and their health benefits over the years, allowing Hawk Meadow to grow.

Unlike most mushroom farmers who grow mushrooms indoors in bags of sawdust or grain, Hawk Meadow Farm grows them naturally on logs. According to Emma Gutierrez, staff mycologist for Hawk Meadow Farm, growing mushrooms indoors can result in higher yields of mushrooms, but sacrifices the strength of bioactive compounds that can be of benefit to our health. And with the boom of interest in medicinal mushrooms, not all mushroom products are created equal.

“Mushrooms have really amazing capabilities to boost your immune system, boost your heart health, brain health, reduce inflammation, the list goes on,” Emma said, “but if someone reaches on the shelf and grabs just any [mushroom] product, and they pick one that is mostly filler, you’re losing this potential opportunity for some really amazing healing to happen.”

Hawk Meadow Farm’s other focus is on education. They receive many visitors in the summer; some take part in mushroom-yard tours or hands-on workshops and classes,  others come to camp overnight. Many of the people who come to the farm are surprised by what the farm looks like, since they are unfamiliar with the concept of forest farming and expect a more traditional farm.

“People really don’t know what to expect when they come here,” Emma said, “but they are often surprised at what they see. Many call this non-traditional farming, but in reality, farming with nature has been practiced for centuries by native peoples all over the world, it’s as traditional as you can get!”

Hawk Meadow Farm is run with the intent of farming in a way that doesn’t negatively impact the land, but instead adds value to it . Even the new farm building is made sustainably, with straw-bale and timber frame construction and clay plaster walls, making a building that is almost entirely made of compostable and locally sourced materials.

“Instead of working against nature to grow crops or make an income, you’re actually working in tandem with a lot of the natural systems and climates, ecosystems around you,” Emma said. “Instead of taking nature as a commodity, you’re kind of using it as a partner.”

In addition to Steve and Emma, the business is co-owned by Steve’s wife Anne, and employs Ian McCoy who started out as an intern and helps with building projects, as well as helping make other products such as vinegar and pickles. Emma said the farm’s current team works well, and keeps up with a constant stream of crazy new ideas for growth.

Emma finds it exhilarating to be part of a farm that is at the forefront of a change in agriculture that is more land-focused, but with that comes the challenges of figuring out what works and what doesn’t.

“As much as we’re trying to be in reciprocity with the land, we also have to be able to survive on an income,” Emma said.

Nevertheless, Emma appreciates the opportunity to give mushroom yard tours and share the farm’s ideals with others. Hawk Meadow often inspires visitors to make small changes in their own life after seeing the farm, whether that be starting a compost pile, shopping local, or learning the names of trees in their backyard.

“People are now starting to really realize the importance of the natural world from a personal standpoint,” Emma said, “All we want to do is help people figure out what that means in their life.”

Hawk Meadow Farm got started selling to GreenStar through Steve’s art business, Acorn Designs. They enjoy selling to GreenStar, since doing so helps keep profits local and builds the community.

For more information, visit https://www.hawkmeadowfarm.com.