Innovation meets tradition: How a Story County hog farm bloomed into a mushroom business

Editor's Note: The documentary crew cited in this story would not let the Ames Tribune reveal what company they were with until the film is released.

A former Story County hog farm is in the spotlight for an environmentally conscious transformation.

A documentary film crew visited 1100 Farm on Tuesday, July 16, in Radcliffe to celebrate Tanner Faaborg and his family's groundbreaking as they begin work on their new mushroom-growing operation. The farm produces Lion's Mane and Reishi mushrooms, which help with pain and anxiety.

1100 Farm began as a hog farm just 45 minutes north of Des Moines. The Faaborg family, led by Tanner Faaborg, decided to switch their focus to mushrooms after enduring the challenges of the hog industry.

The transformation caught the attention of the documentary's creators, who reached out to Faaborg about eight months ago. Though he was unsure if 110 Farm would be featured, he was eventually told it was "number one" on the crew's list.

The property's larger mushroom facility is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

From livestock to mushrooms

Founded by Tanner Faaborg's parents Tammy and Rand Faaborg, 1100 Farm was a hog farm for more than 30 years.

The operation allowed the Faaborg family to generate income while working together.

"We were looking for extra income possibly, and it was quite a bit more money than we anticipated," Tammy Faaborg said. "It enabled me to stay home with the kids, which was very important to me."

Tanner Faaborg said his parents didn't want to run the hog business anymore once the kids moved out.

"It was taking a toll on their physical health, and they were thinking about retirement and environmental impact as well," Tanner Faaborg said. "They wanted to get out, but didn't know how."

Tanner Faaborg was leading Urban Ambassadors at the time, a Des Moines nonprofit that strives to inspire sustainable living. He realized agriculture was falling behind in its sustainability efforts, and sought out his parents to initiate a change, knowing they didn't want the farm to sit empty and decay.

"I told them, what if I found a (sustainable) alternative?" Tanner Faaborg said. "Maybe I could purchase part of that land from you and do something else with those barns and the property."

Several members of the Faaborg family help operate the new and approved 1100 Farm, which satisfies Tanner Faaborg's goal of keeping the property within the family.

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Journey to 'Transfarmation'

Tanner Faaborg sorted through various business models to find the right non-livestock business, ultimately settling on the Transfarmation Project . The Mercy For Animals nonprofit helps farmers transition from industrial animal farming into a more sustainable plant-focused operation.

Tanner Faaborg eventually fell in love with growing mushrooms and "went down the mushroom rabbit hole."

"I loved the versatility they presented; there's specialty mushrooms," Tanner Faaborg said. "I loved that we could grow and sell them as produce, but then we could also make products and focus on the medicinal benefits."

What mushroom and products will be sold?

The farm's mushrooms are grown organically at a controlled temperature.

Lion's Mane and Reishi mushrooms are being grown for tinctures, or herbal extracts to help with things like nerve pain and relaxation. The mushroom tinctures are available for purchase on 1100 Farm's website.

They are fine-tuning a Lion's Mane coffee and mushroom salt that will be ready in August. A variety of fresh Oyster and Lion's Mane mushrooms will be available in select restaurants around September.

Business owners interested in selling 1100 Farm's products can email Tanner Faaborg at Tanner@1100 Farm.com.

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Building sustainable agriculture model

Transfarmation has tabbed 1100 Farm as a recipient of substantial investment, allowing the property to become a demonstration hub. Tanner Faaborg said the farm will lead local conservation efforts to demonstrate what a diversified, small-family farm can do.

He sees 1100 Farm as a model for sustainable agriculture and a provider of quality goods. He hopes the property's transformation inspires farmers to embrace environmentally conscious operations.

"We're going to collect all the data and open source that," Tanner Faaborg said. "Hopefully other farmers can use that data, and we can be a catalyst for change in the agricultural world, even in a small way."

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Celia Brocker is a government, crime, political and education reporter for the Ames Tribune. She can be reached at CBrocker@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Innovation meets tradition: How a Story County hog farm bloomed into a mushroom business