Ashbourne Farms Origins | The Art of Mushrooms

About the Event

The Art of Mushrooms | A Cultivation and Culinary Experience

Step inside one of the most carefully tended spaces at Ashbourne Farms.

The Art of Mushrooms invites you behind the scenes of our mushroom program — from the growing room to the Show Barn kitchen — revealing how thoughtful agricultural decisions shape texture, flavor, and nourishment.

Led by Farm Operations & Stakeholder Experience Coordinator Billy Cortes and Executive Chef Jeff Dailey, this 90-minute immersive experience moves from cultivation to culinary application. Guests will witness harvesting at peak readiness, explore the science of mycelium and environmental stewardship, and transition into a chef-led tasting that demonstrates restraint, technique, and the quiet power of mushrooms at the table.

What You Will Experience
• Growing Room Immersion
• Guided walk through the mushroom growing space
• Exploration of the mushroom life cycle and the quiet role of mycelium
• Insight into cultivation methods and environmental care
• Live harvest at peak readiness
• Conversation around freshness and post-harvest handling

Then, transition to the Show Barn Event Kitchen

Culinary Demonstration & Tasting at Show Barn Kitchen
• A seamless movement from cultivation to culinary expression
• A shiitake-infused welcome sip 
• A series of chef-led mushroom bites highlighting distinct preparations
• Discussion of technique, restraint, and flavor development
• Wellness and nutritional insights
• A seasonal beverage served during the tasting

Capacity is intentionally limited to preserve the intimacy and quality of the experience.