Phillip Paulsen

I am an amateur gardener and orchardist and I get great joy and am excited by the prospects of growing food off of the land. I have worked on farms and vineyards in my youth and enjoy growing food on my personal property and recently have learned about mycology and mushroom foraging which has intrigued me and sparked my desire to do something more.

An ideal partner would be someone who has some business and farming knowledge because my business knowledge is non-existent and my hands on agricultural knowledge is limited to articles, Youtube, podcasts and what I have done in my youth and at my home garden/orchard (I'm sure I can learn a lot more). What I can provide is the energy, excitement and zeal for the enterprise. My short-term business goal is for part-time income (I have a full-time job I don't plan on leaving yet) with the hopes of expanding if a partnership 'clicks'.

I am interested in either of two primary business ventures: an (organic) permaculture/agroforestry/regenerative agriculture approach to an orchard focusing on chestnuts and/or cider apple varieties (further value added if right opportunity arises), or *wild* mushroom inoculation and harvesting. 

The land for the orchard would preferably be fertile, well-draining soil or an abandoned apple orchard. The orchard would focus on the chestnuts with black locust support trees and possibly some pawpaws and persimmons. Diversity is key.

The mushroom harvesting venture requires forested land (preferably hardwoods). Some logs will be inoculated with mushroom spawn. Mushrooms that end up fruiting will be harvested when ready (possibly years later depending on the strain of mushroom). This would require an existing forest canopy. More details would be given upon meeting.