Couple Turns Gardening Passion Into Thriving Mushroom Farm In Somerset County

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — Bridgewater husband-and-wife team Ayesha Dolasa and Jacob Tulius had always been avid gardeners until they stumbled upon mushrooms.

Spore by spore, the couple turned their interest into a thriving organic speciality mushroom farm in Hillsborough.

Dolasa and Tulius opened their family farm, Noble Mushrooms, in 2017 at 2 Clerico Lane in Hillsborough. Their products are now sold at farmers' markets, online and through at-home kits.

Dolasa told Patch she and her husband started the business after looking for a way to get into agriculture.

After researching different options, mushrooms stood out because "there wasn’t anyone locally at the time doing it, so we felt it was a nice niche," said Dolasa.

Noble Mushrooms grows indoors in Hillsborough.

Dolasa said the operation includes a lab space and a fruiting chamber "which is basically like a shipping container."

She said the farm focuses on specialty mushrooms rather than button mushrooms, including oyster mushrooms, lion’s mane and chestnuts.

"Everything we grow is on a wood substrate," she said, explaining those varieties are wood degraders, unlike button mushrooms, which she described as compost degraders.

She said the business is certified organic and also works with other New Jersey farmers by providing cultivation material.

Noble Mushrooms has also expanded its offerings to hobbyists and others interested in trying mushroom growing at home.

Dolasa said the at-home kits are designed to be approachable for beginners.

"It's actually pretty straightforward," she said when asked whether it is hard for someone to grow mushrooms at home.

She said customers receive instructions and materials, and some starter mushrooms can produce a first harvest in "10 days to two weeks."

The business does not have a public farm space for visitors. Instead, Noble Mushrooms sells at the Bedminster Farmers Market and West Windsor Farmers Market.

Online orders can also be picked up on site, typically in the lobby.

In colder months, Dolasa said Noble Mushrooms also offers classes, sometimes at other locations.

An upcoming class is scheduled at the Scotch Plains Library later in November, along with programs for garden clubs.

The classes cover home growing, more advanced lab work and uses for mushrooms, including cooking and teas.

"I feel like every time I think of mushrooms, there’s something new," said Dolasa.

For more information on Noble Mushrooms, visit noblemushrooms.com, or instagram.com/noblemushrooms, or facebook.com/Noblemushrooms.

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