The old Memorial Tunnel on the West Virginia Turnpike has found a new purpose as an innovative agricultural enterprise–one that has dramatically increased production thanks to support from the West Virginia Economic Development Authority.
Hernshaw Farms now grows gourmet mushrooms within the dark confines of the tunnel, which also provides the stable temperatures and humidity necessary for the fungi to flourish. Its products include a wide variety of dried mushroom mixes as well as mushroom grow kits.
“We’re really excited for this year,” said George Patterson, owner and founder. “We’re going to expand our dried Lion’s Mane production. Lion’s Mane is great for your brain. It’s the only thing other than stem cells that regenerate cell growth.”
A Growing Business
When Hernshaw Farms needed new machinery in order to meet production demands, the company turned to the WVEDA for help. The EDA is a self-supporting, public corporation formed to promote economic growth in West Virginia by providing financing to businesses, including direct loans and industrial development bonds.
“The people at the EDA are wonderful to work with,” Patterson said. “All it took was a phone call and some applications and a few meetings.”
Acquiring the machinery they needed fundamentally changed operations at Hernshaw Farms, allowing the business to truly scale production and dramatically increase their output.
“It’s allowed us to take on new contracts that we never would have thought of before,” he said.
Patterson praised the EDA representatives he worked with to secure financing.
“The thing that really impressed me was how kind everyone was and willing to take a phone call. They really want to help grow West Virginia.”
Your Partner in Progress
Here at the WVEDA we believe your success builds our communities, strengthens our economy and writes the next chapter for West Virginia. To discover how your business can take advantage of our agency’s funding opportunities, call the WVEDA at (304) 558‑3651. Additional program details and application guidance are available at eda.wv.gov.
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