I am the founder of Darcee’s mushrooms, a small specialty mushroom business based in Traverse City, Michigan.

Before mushrooms, I served as a U.S. Navy Culinary Specialist aboard the USS Nimitz (CVN-68), Later working in fine dining pastry, oil painting, and tattooing. Those experiences continue to shape my approach to mushroom cultivation through passion and craftsmanship. You can read my artist feature here , and Navy culinary adventures here and here.

From the Navy, I learned discipline and consistency. Pastry taught me precision, timing, and attention to detail. Tattooing gave me a deep respect for sterile technique and clean work flow. These skills have become incredibly valuable in mushroom cultivation, where contamination control and careful handling are everything.

Today, I combine those experiences with formal horticulture training through Northwestern Michigan College and Michigan State University’s Institute of Agricultural Technology. I currently cultivate beautiful Lion’s Mane mushrooms in Northern Michigan with a focus on freshness, small-batch quality, and thoughtful growing practices.

My long-term vision is to build a sustainable local mushroom business that connects people more closely to their food while continuing to explore lower-waste cultivation and packaging solution as the business grows.

When you support Darcee’s Mushrooms, you’re supporting a solo-operated, veteran-owned business built through creativity, resilience, and a genuine love for growing things.