By Jan Calvert
Horsforth Farmers’ Market returned this weekend to light up a grey Saturday morning with new and regular stalls, speakers, craft activities and music provided by Joy Choir.
Joining the regular stalls this month were new traders the Wild Spore Company, a speciality mushroom farm established by Carly and Ellie from Kirk Hammerton, York.
Displaying a range of spectacular locally grown mushrooms including Lions Mane, Shiitake and Oyster mushrooms, Carly and Ellie focus on “cultivating exceptional mushrooms to feed the communities closest to us”.
“As a local micro farm”, Carly said, “we’re able to prioritise quality and build genuine relationships with the local chefs we supply to.”
The duo is now excited to bring their home growing kits of mushrooms and dried mushroom packets to local markets as well as offering the delicious varieties for home cooking.
Nutritionally, mushrooms provide protein, prebiotic fibre, vitamin B and vitamin D as well as minerals such as selenium, zinc and potassium.
Also known as Hericium Erinaceus, Lion’s Mane is used internationally for both its culinary and medicinal properties. Studies into its potential effects suggest it may promote neurogenesis, offer benefits such as improving memory and concentration, and even help protect against neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
Carly and Ellie recommend it as a delicious and nutritious food which can be added to stir fries or used as a meat or seafood substitute.
“Lion’s Mane can be cut like a cauliflower steak and fried with butter, garlic and fresh herbs or can be drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice.”
Guest stall holders at the market included Olgish Ukrainian Cakes, Thistlemist Soup and Horsforth Allotment Association. Popular regular stalls returned, selling organic vegetables, olive oil, free range eggs and beautiful local honey.
Horsforth Farmers’ Market is held in St Margaret’s school, Town Street on the first Saturday of each month and is hosted by Horsforth Churches Together.
For more information about Wild Spore Company, see www.wildspore.co.uk.
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