<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1lCo4j_0wDAgnXf00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1lCo4j_0wDAgnXf00" width="1150" height="1402" ><figcaption>Wine Cap Stropharia Mushrooms are among the types of mushrooms grown at Sharondale Farm. (Photo courtesy Sharondale Farm.)</figcaption></figure>CISMONT, Va. — Mark Jones came to farming in Virginia through a path different from many others. He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Evansville in Indiana and then earned a Master’s degree in Plant Health from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.For several years, he worked as a contractor in the construction industry.Jones said he gained an interest in the environment and agriculture and decided that growing food would be his future.In 2004, Jones moved into his grandfather’s farm in the Keswick area of Albemarle County.He started growing mushrooms at Sharondale Farm year-round from this location about 12 miles east of Charlottesville.The farm covers about 7 acres.“My background in construction allowed me to build the mushroom farm,” said Jones. “We operate from a climate-controlled grow house. We also have a separate lab.”“We focus on growing specialty mushrooms,” he continued. “We grow some of our mushrooms in a mixture of sawdust, wheat bran, and other items. We sell lots of oyster mushrooms. Also, lion’s mane mushrooms.”He said he has a strong following in the region.“We sell primarily to restaurants in Charlottesville,” said Jones. “The area chefs like our high-quality mushrooms. They serve our mushrooms fresh as well as using the mushrooms to make a variety of dishes.”In addition to area restaurants, Sharondale Farm also sells its mushrooms to one small local grocer as well as through its website to people in other parts of Virginia and throughout the country.The farm also sells a number of tools and supplies for people wanting to grow their own mushrooms.Jones explained that much of his work involves science.Research is an important part of his activities. Beyond growing mushrooms in the buildings on the property, he also grows mushrooms outside on fallen logs from trees in the woods on the farm.“At Sharondale Farm, cultivating mushrooms happens at the intersection of science and art,” said Jones in a statement detailing his work. “The farm culture bank holds over 100 strains of gourmet and medicinal mushrooms. A few of the collected wild strains have been developed into productive food and medicine crops, and several have shown potential for bioremediation of diesel oil and hydraulic fluid, two common pollutants on small farms.”“While growing mushrooms is a good business, approaching fungi from a broader perspective helps push the edge of knowledge about what is possible for our future as a species,” the statement from Jones said. “Fungal allies co-create resilience in agriculture by improving the health of soil and crops and animals, and in our communities by providing healthy food and jobs.“Our farm works to demonstrate that fungi can help heal the planet by supporting human-designed ecosystems.”Growing mushrooms is one of the ways that Jones has strived to connect people with food, he said.Jones has conducted workshops on his farm through the years.He’s also been an active speaker with the Virginia Association for Biological Farming.</div></body>

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Jones holds his own growing mushrooms on 7 acres

CISMONT, Va. — Mark Jones came to farming in Virginia through a path different from many others. He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Evansville in Indiana and then earned a Master’s degree in Plant Health from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.