Hidden Gems: Meet Dave Holland of Oak & Hazel mushrooms

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dave Holland.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
During the pandemic I bought a grow kit for some mushrooms, online. It became a fascination, then an obsession, then a daily hobby, to a business, in early 2024. I didn’t come from agriculture, in fact, I cam from marketing and design for brands like Purdue University and Apple. When you find your passions, it may not come from where you expect and I am an example of that.

We’ve been serving the greater Atlanta area for almost 3 years now and we’re very proud of the community and support that has received us. It just goes to show that with a strong passion, a lot of learning, and some luck, you can still live your dreams.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has most certainly not been a smooth road, but if video games have taught me anything, it’s that when you find opposition, it usually means you’re headed in the right direction. I didn’t go to school for agriculture or horticulture, or anything related to mushrooms. I’m not a business degree guy, nor do I really know what I’m doing half the time! But I am a natural problem solver and puzzle seeker and that has served me well.

There’s a ton about business and agriculture that, to this day, I’m still figuring out. There’s a challenge at every turn. Mushrooms are living things and they can tell you a whole lot, but you really only ever know if something has gone right or wrong after at least a month of hard work, so it can be frustrating during the trail-and-error phases. We’ve had to solve power issues, plumbing issues, heating and cooling issues, insulation and construction, and all while keeping things clean and tidy so our mushrooms grow healthy.

There aren’t a lot of resources to how to start a mushroom business, so there’s a lot of just figuring it all out on your own.

As you know, we’re big fans of Oak & Hazel mushrooms. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
We’re a local mushroom farm that specializes in gourmet and nutritional varieties. There are a few other mushroom farmers in Atlanta, but what sets us apart is our passion to inspire our community to try something new and create a dish they are proud of. I tell people all the time, “I don’t want to sell you a mushroom; I want to sell you dinner.” I work a lot with the culinary aspect of mushrooms because I love cooking and eating. If I had to describe our brand to someone, I’d say we are the hungry person’s mushroom brand.

Because we focus so much on feeding people, we donate a portion of our yearly grow to food banks. We also teach people how to cook our mushrooms, so they aren’t confused as to what to do.

What’s next?
We’re really looking forward to expanding our business and becoming the premiere mushroom brand of Atlanta. We’d like to participate in more mushroom festivals and events and really start to show people that their local brand is the brand for them. I’m looking forward to expanding the team and hiring some new people and being able to reach more people where they are.

Contact Info:

• Website: Oh mushrooms.com
• Instagram: https://Instagram.com/oh_mushrooms
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/OakHazel
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@oakhazel