A
n eastern Kanawha County mushroom farm has once again earned a national certification.
Hernshaw Farms, a local company that grows edible mushrooms in a former tunnel in the upper Kanawha Valley, successfully renewed their USDA Mushroom Good Agricultural Practices (MGAP) certification earlier in June. Representatives of the farming business announced the recertification on social media.
“We remain the first—and still the only—commercially MGAP-certified mushroom farm in West Virginia,” Hernshaw Farms owner and founder George Patterson said in a statement.
Being re-certification is more than just an accolade—it’s also a validation of the farm’s dedication to a high-quality product, Patterson said.
“This isn’t just a title—it’s a commitment to food safety, traceability, and quality that we take seriously every single day,” he said.
Farm history
Hernshaw Farms was founded in 2018. Patterson initially grew mushrooms in shipping containers and repurposed shelving. In 2022, the farm began growing mushrooms in the old Memorial Tunnel off the West Virginia Turnpike.
Originally, the West Virginia National Guard had utilized the Memorial Tunnel for training purposes. But training stopped in 2020 when the Center for National Response ceased operations at the site.
In 2022, Patterson proposed using the state-owned structure to grow his produce.
“He came in here, sat and we talked about it,” then-Brigadier General Bill Crane told local CBS affiliate WOWK at the time. “Great young man, great idea, and has now turned this into a business and we want to be a part in helping him be successful, because if he’s successful the state’s successful.”
Environmental efforts
Reusing land is part of Hernshaw Farms’ social mission, which also includes repurposing and reinvigorating former mining sites.
“Hernshaw Farms is a sustainable social enterprise that will have a positive impact on Appalachian communities,” the company notes on its website. “We will nurture and transform mine land into beautiful farmland using spent mushroom blocks. And we will provide healthy local food with a purpose.”
Once a mushroom block is no longer usable, workers use it to make compost. That compost is then used to turn old mine land into farmland.
It’s a full-circle process, advocates say, creating jobs, helping people access fresh food, and cleaning up the environment.
“We’re proud to lead the way for mushroom farming in Appalachia—growing clean food, the right way, in one of the most unexpected places: a former highway tunnel and strip mine,” Patterson said in the statement.
And now, once again, Hernshaw Farms has the national certification to prove it.
