The mushroom business may not be the easiest, but with persistence, there is a pay off like no other.
Pennsylvania is currently the nation’s top producer of mushrooms, with 67 percent of the more than 800 million pounds produced annually being grown there. One community has since laid claim to being the “Mushroom Capital of the World.”
Every year, Kennett Square, a community of 6,000 people, produces about half of all the mushrooms in the U.S. The city serves mushroom-focused dishes in almost every restaurant, and also hosts and mushroom festival.
“It is great for the economy here in Chester County,” said Kathi Lafferty, owner of the mushroom-themed gift shop The Mushroom Cap. “The industry probably employs 10,000 people, it’s amazing.”