An Idaho Man is Meeting a Need in Beating Inflation

Does the cost of groceries have you singing the blues? I was on-air and musing about the cost of meat, poultry, and eggs and suddenly mentioned the sticker shock I had last weekend when shopping for mushrooms. I love mushrooms. I eat them raw, cooked or canned. The price has probably tripled in a decade, with much of that coming over the last year.

A quick meal is to sauté mushrooms in butter and garlic and then toss it over pierogis. My most common use for mushrooms is in spaghetti sauce. I make sauce most weekends in the slow cooker. I passed on the fungus this past weekend.

I never know who’ll be listening to the radio when I’m ranting. A short while later I received a message from a man who knows his mushrooms. He’s growing a high-quality variety and has found interest, especially among local restaurants that like to use fresh products.

Brady Boteilho is feeding not only a niche but he’s also found a market. This may be the future of food. Locally sourced. I know people from all walks of life and from all political backgrounds who prefer local.

Some years ago I was shopping and found kiwi fruit in the produce aisle. I bought some and found it delicious but later had some thoughts. What does it take to ship it here? Are there locally grown fruits that can give me the same vitamins and nutrients? Can I help someone locally make a living?

If there was a silver lining to the COVID panic three years ago, it’s that we often found local substitutes.