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There is a store in Hillsboro on Main Street that has been the subject of many conversations over the past year. What exactly are they selling? What kind of things are happening there? Is it a store or what? Many questions were asked and rumors spread, so the Free Press decided to get some answers.
As with many small town mysteries, the answers weren’t even outrageous, contrary to some rumors. But the business – it turns out to be a store – was a pretty interesting place, full of all sorts of adventures and unexpected treasures.
Mader’s Mushrooms, whose slogan is “One Stop Shop for Alternatives,” offers many products that are not available anywhere else in Marion County. In fact, some of their products, such as CBD bath and body products, live crickets for pets, gourmet mushroom grow bags and more, are only available in Salina or Wichita. At a time when many prefer to shop locally and keep money in Marion County, having a business like this is key.echo adrotate_group(14);
“Almost all of our products are made in Kansas, and most come from here,” Conan Mader said.
Conan and Kathy Mader, the couple who own the store, have lived in Hillsboro for about 15 years.
As the name of the store suggests, mushrooms are the main products consumed. a couple sells at their store.
“I have been growing mushrooms for about a decade. I always went out in the spring in search of morels. Every time the drought started to hit, a friend of mine would say we should just grow morels, so I looked into it, thinking it couldn’t be that hard. But that’s not really achievable. I mean, you can, but it’s not a real production thing. There are way too many technical details. But obviously there are other options that grow much easier, so I tried that and it worked,” Conan said.
After much trial and error, Conan learned what works and put everything together to create a system that works for him. And he learned how to make it work for others. He now offers his customers gourmet mushroom grow bags. He also grows mushrooms in a special room in the store.
There are four main types of mushrooms available. Lion’s Mane is known for its crabmeat taste and is considered a gourmet mushroom. It has been proven to stimulate the brain. Pink oysters are known to taste like bacon or ham. Blue oysters have a very mild and subtle licorice or anise flavor. They have a chewy texture and have a slight earthy, savory taste. The black oyster has a slightly chewy texture with a mild, sweet and nutty flavor. Many oyster mushrooms are believed to taste like seafood. Mushrooms can be eaten raw as in salads or cooked in soups, stews, pastas, stir-fries and more.
Mushrooms have many health benefits as they are packed with protein as well as B vitamins and are a good source of fiber. Research shows they can help protect against dementia, reduce mild symptoms of anxiety, and repair nerve damage. They are also a powerful anti-inflammatory.
The couple encourage customers to research the different ways to use and consume the mushrooms and also provide an information sheet, including care instructions and ways to prepare them for consumption. All mushrooms are safe and legal for those concerned about this aspect of mushrooms. Each grow bag provides multiple “fluves” or growth cycles per bag.
For CBD products, the couple offers bath balms, lotions, tinctures, lip balms, salves and more.
The shop also offers plants.
“I’ve grown a lot of plants from my grandmother’s plants, so I have clippings of the ones I’m going to sell. We also sell cards to plant and grow flowers, and other unique and reusable gifts,” Kathy said. “Our goal is to reuse and reuse. We also offer organic and ecological gifts and local homemade products such as jellies.
Spirit items such as sage and crystals are also available, along with many other items.
The best way to really understand Mader’s Mushrooms and all they have to offer would be to go there and check it out to get the full experience and ask questions.
They are located at 120 N. Main in Hillsboro and are open Tuesday 10am-6pm, Wednesday 3pm-6pm, Friday 10am-3pm and some Saturdays 10am-2pm. They can be reached via email madersmushrooms@gmail.com or Mader’s Mushrooms and Mercantile on Facebook.