We’re spotlighting a new show on HRN: Fields. Fields brings you the stories of people who are working in urban agriculture—for money, for fun, to feed the hungry, and for entirely other reasons. In each episode, hosts Melissa Metrick and Wythe Marschall delve into different foods grown in cities. Moreover, they investigate the whys behind getting up in the morning and working as a farmer in the shadow of skyscrapers. You don’t need to be a farmer to enjoy this podcast, or even a foodie! With their expert guests, Melissa and Wythe break down the realities and possible futures of urban farming to their elements.

Today we share Episode 5: ‘Shrooms! Indoors, Foraged, and Friendly. Why are mushrooms so popular recently, and who is growing them—and searching for them in the wild—in New York City? To find out, the hosts interviewed a whole bunch of fungi-focused folks. Learn about the cello-inspired origins of the commercial vertical farming startup Smallhold, which grows oyster mushrooms and lion’s mane all over the city. Hear from an entrepreneur on why she started—x.com/2019/01/28/last-year-i-started-a-mushroom-farm-with-zero-experience-heres-what-i-learned-and-why-im-looking-for-a-successor">and then sold—her mushroom farm in Brooklyn.  Melissa and Wythe visit expert forager Wildman Steve—who makes us call him “Wildman”—and try to avoid his bird. And they end with a very fun, philosophical interview of Jie Jin, a mushroom club organizer who makes them rethink our relationship to fungi spores. 

Subscribe to Fields wherever you get your podcasts (Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify | RSS).