Princeton, W.Va. (WVDN) – The West Virginia Hive Network is hosting its first “Coffee Talks” networking session from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Thursday, February 20, at The Dream Bean, located at 860 Mercer Street in Princeton, W.Va. Join the WV Hive for coffee and insightful discussions as you connect with fellow entrepreneurs and help celebrate National Entrepreneurship Week (February 15-22).
Judy Moore, executive director of the WV Hive and deputy director of the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority, will interview Joe Foye and Brenda Outsen, co-owners of E.B. Fungi, whose fungi and mushroom products are sold at Dream Bean, New Roots Farm, at farmers markets, festivals, and online. Their products include
- Lion’s Mane coffee and hot chocolate
- Double-extract mushroom supplements
- Specialty mushroom food products (jerky, burgers, mock ribs, etc.)
The business, initiated as E.B. Fungi nearly 10 years ago in East Bridgewater, MA (“EB”), really took off during the pandemic. Foye and Outsen, who met about six years ago opened a store front location in Mercer County, but it closed recently because the store was too far from their growing site.
Both Foye and Outsen have lifelong experience with foraging and nature, and they enjoy supplying farms, hobby growers, and offering education in cultivation and foraging; consulting for hobby growers looking to turn their passion into a business; and traveling to organizations and festivals for teaching and presentations.
They also share a vision for a farm where customers can visit, learn hands-on, and see the growing process. Their collaborative community mindset of working with other mushroom growers throughout southern West Virginia and sharing ideas, preventing contamination and supporting each other’s growth could help propel their small business journey.
The co-owners of E.B. Fungi first heard about the WV Hive from a satisfied client, Botany Tropicals, which has retail stores in Princeton and Hinton. They hope to engage the services of the WV Hive soon.
More on E.B. Fungi at: https://www.ebfungi.com/ and https://www.facebook.com/ebfungi/
Coffee Talks is free and open to the public, but registration is required. To register, click here.
WV Hive is the entrepreneurship program of the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority. Its 13-county service area includes Raleigh, Fayette, Summers, Nicholas, Webster, Greenbrier, Pocahontas, Monroe, Mercer, McDowell, Wyoming, Logan, and Mingo counties. More information about the WV Hive can be found at https://wvhive.com/.
