This year marks the third year of Justin Sule’s business, I'm a FunGi Mushroom Pharm. He is a certified wild mushroom expert through the Indiana State Department of Health. For Sule, being able to own and franchise a forest plant has been a dream come true. The first mushroom he ever found was a Morel, and he found it while turkey hunting. When reflecting on why he enjoys being a mushroom hunter Sule believes it is because of the thrill he receives from exploring and scavenging in the woods.
“I became obsessed with the hunt so I started researching mushrooms and how to grow them. I came across some fungi while mushroom hunting, and I ended up scavenging for mushrooms instead. My first time growing was eight years ago, and since then I’ve expanded every year,” said Sule.
“The thrill. It’s really exciting. When you're in the woods you never know what you can find, and the cash value of my findings is a plus. I love the woods and nature, always have, so it’s quite a relaxing yet engaging experience for me,” Sule said.
In consideration of all the hunts Sule’s had, he believes his most successful locations to hunt are right here in the Region. When speaking in terms of success, Sule believes that to truly achieve superb mushroom hunter status, you need to be able to identify trees and have certification. For seven years Sule has been certified as a wild mushroom hunter and is happy that seven years ago he decided to take the certification course at Purdue University.
The I’m a FunGi Mushroom Pharm not only sells mushrooms; they also have a coffee (Cognition), tincture, and seasoning chain. A new Cognition blend is coming to his chain soon, and Sule is very excited to put out this new blend and continue his line. Fluid Coffee in Valparaiso supplies coffee beans for Sule’s Cognition blend and the mushrooms are sourced and grown by I'm a FunGi Mushroom Pharm. Sule greatly appreciates Fluid Coffee and hopes others try his Cognition chain. His blends can be found at Fluid and his seasonings and tinctures at various locations in the area.
“The coffee is mushroom-infused. It consists of Lion’s Mane mushroom and Chaga mushroom blended with high-altitude coffee beans. It tastes the same as regular coffee. The new blend will include Cordyceps mushroom and has the same coffee taste without all the caffeine,” said Sule.
The I’m a FunGi Mushroom Pharm is located in Sule’s backyard and is private property. On his pharm Lion’s Mane, Shitake, Oyster, and Wine Cap mushrooms are grown and Sule collects Hen of the Woods, Chicken of the Woods, Chanterelle, Morel, Puffbar, and Oyster mushrooms. In the next few years, Sule’s ambitions for his company consisted of expansion to an indoor farm for year-round growth, furthering the Cognition chain and his other chains, growing even more organic, bringing in investors, and one day opening up a mushroom themed restaurant.
“The best part about having the business I have is meeting new people and getting them passionate about what I’m passionate about. It’s a real win-win experience,” Sule said.
Sule’s business endeavors are just one piece of his lifestyle; he also works at Cleveland Cliffs Steel Mill as an industrial mechanic and spends the rest of his time with his wife, children, and friends.