Three Little Sprouts

Family farm · Winnebago County, Illinois

Fresh gourmet mushrooms, grown to order for Northern Illinois chefs and families.

We grow fresh gourmet mushrooms for restaurants and families throughout the Rockford area and Northern Illinois. Every harvest is planned around customer orders, so your mushrooms are harvested close to delivery or pickup.

Grown to orderHardwood-grownHarvested close to deliveryEvery order QR-tracked
Three Little Sprouts Family Farm logo: blue, pink and golden oyster mushrooms inside a round ring

What we grow

Six gourmet varieties, grown fresh on hardwood-based blocks.

Every variety is grown indoors on hardwood-based blocks and harvested when its flavor and texture are at their best.

Our Oyster Mushrooms

  • King Blue Oyster

    Pleurotus ostreatus

    Steel-blue caps that fade to gray as they open. Meaty, mild and quick to brown in a hot pan.ChefsSeared, roasted, tempuraAt homeTear into strips and pan-fry in butter until crispy

  • Golden (Yellow) Oyster

    Pleurotus citrinopileatus

    Bright yellow clusters with a delicate, nutty flavor. Thin and tender, so it cooks fast.ChefsQuick sautés, pasta, garnishAt homeToss into scrambled eggs or pasta in the last few minutes

  • Pink Oyster

    Pleurotus djamor

    Vivid pink, ruffled caps that stop people at the table. Firm and slightly savory once cooked.ChefsCrispy-fried, tacos, plated wholeAt homeFry until crispy for tacos or a BLT-style sandwich

The Rest of the Lineup

  • Lion's Mane

    Hericium erinaceus

    White cascading spines and a tender texture often compared to crab or lobster.ChefsThick-cut "steaks," crab-style cakesAt homeSlice thick and sear like a steak, or shred for crab-style cakes

  • Shiitake

    Lentinula edodes

    Thick, dense caps with deep savory flavor. Holds its shape through long cooking.ChefsBroths, braises, stir-fry, grilledAt homeGreat in stir-fry, ramen or on the grill

  • Chestnut

    Pholiota adiposa

    Clusters of small cinnamon-brown caps on long stems. Nutty and slightly peppery with a firm bite.ChefsRisotto, pasta, sautéed wholeAt homeSauté whole with garlic and serve over rice or pasta

Coming Soon — In the Lab Now

  • Pink Lion's Mane

    Lion's Mane with a soft rose blush, strongest on young heads.

  • Bear's Head

    Longer spines than Lion's Mane. Milder, a little sweeter.

  • Coral Tooth

    Branching white clusters that look like coral.

  • King Trumpet

    Thick, meaty stems that slice into scallop-like rounds.

  • Maitake

    Hen of the woods. Frilly clusters with a rich, earthy flavor.

Don't see what you're looking for?

Looking for another gourmet variety? Just ask. New varieties take time — we test and fine-tune every grow before it reaches a customer. Let us know what you're looking for and we'll keep you posted.

Request a mushroom

How to order

Grown to order, for restaurants and home cooks alike.

Chefs and restaurants

Standing weekly orders

Tell us what you need each week and we'll start your blocks on a schedule built around your kitchen, so you get the same fresh mushrooms, harvested close to delivery, every week.

A dependable weekly supply of fresh mushrooms, including specialty varieties you may not be able to get from your regular distributor.

  1. Tell us what you need. Let us know which varieties you're interested in and roughly how many pounds you use each week. New restaurant customers can request a free chef sample box and talk with us about availability, standing orders and pricing.

  2. We grow to your order. Blocks are started on your schedule, so supply stays steady week to week.

  3. Delivered fresh. Harvested close to delivery day and brought to restaurants within about an hour of the farm.

Request a Free Chef Sample Box
Home cooks

Farm Pickup · Winnebago County

Home cooks are always welcome. You can set up your own weekly order for pickup at the farm, or join the pickup list and we'll let you know when extra is ready.

Home orders are available by the pound. Contact us for this week's availability and pricing.

A weekly order is the surest way to get the mushrooms you want, and it can be as small as you like.

Pickup is by appointment. We'll share the address when you book.

Farm to table, tracked

Follow your mushrooms from growing through harvest.

Every order is tracked on our farm from the day its grow is started. Scan the QR code on your order with your phone camera to see the story of your mushrooms: what's in your box, the dated growing steps we recorded along the way, and when they were harvested.

King Blue Oyster · 3 lb

Example only · not a real order

  1. Growing blocks preparedSep 20
  2. Moved into the fruiting roomOct 6
  3. Hand harvestedOct 13

Your order's story, from growing to harvest, right on your phone.

Named for our three kids, who are growing up around the farm.

Three Little Sprouts is our family farm in Winnebago County, Illinois. Our three kids are the three little sprouts, and there's one mushroom on our logo for each of them. We wanted to build something at home, on our own land, where they can grow up seeing how real food is grown and help out as they get bigger.

I'm Eric. I've spent my career in the trades and built much of our home with my own hands. I built our mushroom lab and grow rooms with that same hands-on approach. Every mushroom we sell, we grow ourselves, from the first culture to the day it's picked.

I started growing mushrooms because I wanted better food for my family, the kind that's good for you, full of flavor and hard to find in a grocery store. Gourmet mushrooms have been valued for centuries in kitchens and traditional wellness practices all over the world. Now it's time to share them with everyone else.

Every variety we grow has its own history, flavor and nutrition, and there's a lot out there to read about each one. We encourage you to look into them, and we're always happy to talk mushrooms.

We keep the farm small on purpose. It lets us grow varieties you won't find at a distributor, keep every grow clean, and track each order from start to pickup so you know exactly how fresh it is. If it's not the best we can grow, it doesn't leave the farm.

Recipes

Questions

Cooking with fresh mushrooms

The questions home cooks ask us most.

How should I store them?

In a paper bag in the fridge. Plastic traps moisture and makes them slimy. Keep them in the main part of the fridge, not the crisper drawer.

How long do they keep?

For the best flavor and texture, enjoy oysters within a few days. Shiitake and chestnut generally keep longer when properly refrigerated. Because ours are picked so close to pickup, you get the most time possible.

Do I need to wash them?

Usually not. They're grown indoors, so there's no dirt. Brush off any bits or give them a quick rinse right before cooking, then pat them dry. Don't soak them, or they'll absorb water and won't brown.

Can I eat them raw?

We recommend cooking all of our mushrooms thoroughly before eating. Cooking improves their flavor and texture and generally makes mushrooms easier to digest.

How much should I order?

Plan on about a quarter pound per person as a side, or half a pound per person if mushrooms are the main dish. A pound a week is a good start for most families.

Can I freeze them?

Yes, but cook them first. Sauté them, let them cool, then freeze. Raw mushrooms turn mushy when they thaw.

Contact

Ready for fresh mushrooms?

Whether you're a chef looking for a dependable weekly supply or a home cook wanting mushrooms harvested close to delivery, we'd love to grow for you.

Restaurants & Chefs

Get on our weekly harvest schedule and ask about a free chef sample box.

Home Customers

Tell us what varieties you're interested in and we'll let you know what's available from upcoming harvests.

Freshly grown. Locally harvested. Traceable from our farm to you.

eric@threelittlesproutsfarm.com
I'm ordering for
Interested in
Want something we don't grow yet?

New varieties take a few months while we perfect the grow. We'll keep you posted.