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Local mushroom producer says EDA equipment helped scale operations and win contracts
Summary
George of Hearnshaw Farms LLC said equipment obtained through the EDA automated manual work, increased production and allowed the farm to pursue new contracts while the firm plans to expand dried lion's mane output.
George, who identified himself as "the sort of the operations guy" for Hearnshaw Farms LLC, said equipment obtained through the EDA allowed the farm to automate work previously done by hand and substantially increase production.
"The EDA equipment helped us solve their problems tremendously," he said, adding that the machinery "scaled us up into automation" and let the farm "take on new contracts that we never would have thought of before." He described the application process as "a phone call and some applications and a few meetings."
George said Hearnshaw Farms produces mushroom blocks and inoculates mushrooms at a large scale and plans to expand dried lion's mane production for distribution across West Virginia and nationally. "We're going to expand our dried lion's mane production," he said.
He made a health-related claim about lion's mane, saying: "Lion's mane is great for your brain. It's the only thing other than stem cells that regenerates cell growth." The transcript contains this assertion but does not provide supporting evidence; the claim was not verified in the testimony.
George praised EDA staff for being helpful and accessible and urged other businesses to contact the agency, saying, "They really want to help grow West Virginia. Reach out. Let's grow West Virginia together."
