Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Joseph Iovino. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Joseph, you’ve got such an interesting story, but before we jump into that, let’s first talk about a topic near and dear to us – generosity. We think success, happiness and wellbeing depends on authentic generosity and empathy and so we’d love to hear about how you become such a generous person – where do you think your generosity comes from?
Generosity clearly came from my mother. Mom is an RN and has not only top tier bedside manor, but a genuine love for people. Shes the type of person who will become friends with your friends and call them on their birthdays, even when you don’t remember their birthdays. I have found this to translate well when I was a Firefighter/Paramedic and is also one of my best qualities. When you put people before yourself its infinitely more rewarding. This also translates in mushroom farming in the form of customer service and relationships with Chefs. Caring for the needs of a Chef, especially during crucial times such as emergencies leaves a lasting impression and sets you apart from large food distributors who only care about the bottom line. If the Chefs fridge goes down and they lose product and you re able to replace it for free, that generosity is never forgotten.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I’m Joseph Iovino, a former 12 year Firefighter/Paramedic who gave it all up to become a mushroom farmer. A couple years into my firefighting career I picked up mushroom cultivation as a way to unwind and eat the types of mushrooms I could not find locally. As the years went by gourmet mushrooms became immensity popular and rewarding to cultivate. However, Firefighting became extremely demanding area of entire life. Mandatory overtime would leave me away from home and family for half of the month and eventually drove me to leave the fire service and pursue mushroom farming full-time. I was able to achieve the “leave the rat race” fantasy and have my own business. From my household we are able to generate 400lbs a week of gourmet mushrooms, mainly lions mane and oyster mushrooms and provide to some of the finest Chefs in Tampa and St. Pete. The most exciting part of mushroom farming for me isn’t the farming itself, but seeing the dishes that are served and the level of creativity required.
Our farm is nearing completion of a major expansion. We purchased 5 acres of Agriculture zoned land and constructed a 3500 sq ft facility specifically for growing mushrooms and will make us one of the largest farms of its kind in the state.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
1. Actively thinking positively while discarding negative thoughts 2. Visualizing the end result as if I already possessed it
3. Persistence
I have always possessed a wild imagination and practiced these things naturally without ever knowing I was using a “technique.” It wasn’t until I read the works of Napoleon Hill did I realize that was my natural state, however, I was able to refine it. I tend to believe in the power of thought as the main driver to life and find its almost the only skill needed to achieve anything I desire. For anyone early into their own journey, simply let the idea consume you and have it in the front of your thoughts at all times, take action and persist. You need only wait.
Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
The hardest challenge I have faced in regards to mushroom farming has easily been expanding. Material costs, delays and inflation have made the process extremely slow to finish. Contractors who are able to understand how a mushroom farm operates are rare and can be difficult to communicate specific needs with. But once again persistence has prevailed and the expansion is almost complete.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.cactushatmushrooms.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/cactushatmushrooms
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/cactushatmushrooms
