Riverhead mushroom farm combines art and produce

An upstart family-run micro farm in Riverhead has an ambitious vision for the future. 

Hephzibah Organic Farm is a 10-acre organic mushroom and vegetable venture on Route 105. 

The owners are artists turned farmers Annie Gao and her husband, Lusen Zhou, high-school sweethearts who met in China. Ms. Gao does most of the planting while Mr. Zhou builds the greenhouses for the farm.

“In 2019, he was a street artist in New York City while she was living here with their three children,” said Esther Johnson, the couple’s translator, who also handles marketing for the farm. “They decided it was time to bring their family together and so they switched from art to farming.”

“This was all God’s guidance,” Ms. Gao said. “Hephzibah in Hebrew means ‘God’s delight’ and that is our farm.” She noted that once she tasted organic produce, she knew it would be better for her children if they grew organically. Hephzibah Farm has been USDA certified organic since 2019. “We wanted a way to please God, to be organic, not waste things, be green and environmentally friendly,” Mr. Zhou said. 

Over the past four years, their shiitake and oyster mushrooms have been sold at farmers markets in Blue Point and St. James and to restaurants in Greenport, as well as to customers in Flushing and Setauket, mainly family and friends in the Chinese community. Orders are taken on messaging apps and through texting, but there are plans to set up a website. Oyster mushrooms are often used by vegans as a meat substitute and have a stronger taste than the shiitakes, which are crispy. It takes only a week to grow mushrooms in the summer; about double that in the winter months. 

“We’re not large-scale yet, but we do have a self-service farm stand at 1553 Northville Turnpike, local delivery and a small CSA [Community Supported Agriculture] membership,” said Ms. Johnson. Depending on the season, the farm stand usually brings in about $800 a month. “That’s about 50 to 100 people, and many are returning loyal customers, ” she said. January and February are the slow season, as the farm produces less. But during the summer and around Thanksgiving and Christmas, business picks up. “One family texted me saying their children wanted mushrooms for Christmas,” Ms. Johnson said. Another customer specifically wanted mushrooms for their birthday.

Situated among the greenhouses at Hephzibah Organic Farm is a unique outdoor art gallery. The pieces, created by 18 artists using upcycled materials, include a mysterious eye made of twisted iron and three wooden structures. “All of the shapes have a Biblical theme,” Ms. Johnson said. “Just as Jesus rose from the dead to give us hope and life, so all the materials they use are recycled.” 

The farm is ramping up its CSA program, and preparing for members to be able to pick up mushrooms, tomatoes, salad greens and other seasonal produce each week. Membership is $300 for the season or $30 a month, and there are currently about 20 active subscribers. 

The mushrooms grow year-round in one greenhouse, and the hope is to eventually have as many as 27 working greenhouses on the property. One of the greenhouses currently houses artwork, while another serves as a dining hall for events, mainly church-centered activities such as a retreat with a bonfire outside, weddings and birthdays. The couple has also celebrated Thanksgiving at the farm, put on a Christmas light show and hosted a day for cancer patients during COVID-19.

On their wish list for the future is to have people with special needs come to the garden to learn how to plant and create art. And there’s the potential to develop gardens to grow produce meant specifically to benefit people with diabetes, such as spinach and celery. 

About a month ago, Hephzibah began welcoming visitors looking to pick their own mushrooms. “We invite the local community to come to our farm to pick organic mushrooms,” said Mr. Zhou.

It was a struggle at the beginning, according to Mr. Zhou, who chuckled when asked how he transitioned from artist to farmer. “We couldn’t have done it without God or without the support from the local community and friends,” he said. “We struggle, but our family sticks together. We are blessed.”