“Make yourself at home,” says Jane Post. “Do you want a cheese sandwich?” Tim Hensley asks. This gracious and generous couple, Tim, 48, and Jane, 57, are trying to contribute to life in Madison County by sharing what they love: mushrooms and nature.
Their mushroom emporium, Forest Retreats, started with an idea and a few logs. Tim was introduced to wild-mushroom hunting by Jane, his girlfriend at the time. After getting married, they decided to try mushroom farming and acquired a few logs the mushrooms could grow on. They gradually improved their system of farming but continued hunting the wild ones.
They sell their forest produce to restaurants in Lexington and around Madison County, delivering the mushrooms in their car when they have enough to warrant a trip.
They wish they could live off-the-grid entirely, but needing to make money, they settle for varied approaches and diverse businesses. Primarily mushroom hunters and gatherers, they cultivate organic vegetables year round and run workshops and retreats from early spring through fall. Jane also is an on-demand massage therapist.
Tim and Jane build their own barns and sheds and grow and preserve their own foods. They keep chickens, an heirloom cow and three German shepherds named Rasta, Honey and Sasha.
All in all, Tim and Jane are an unorthodox couple who contribute to life in Madison County by doing what they love.
