Mushroom Farmer Mallory DeVries: Why She Stopped Farming Despite Success

Mallory DeVries built a thriving specialty mushroom business in northeast Iowa, selling more than 2,000 pounds annually. Despite her success, she decided to stop farming after realizing the operation’s heavy reliance on plastic waste, imported materials, and chemical use conflicted with her values of sustainability. Now, DeVries works to help other farmers develop more sustainable systems and localize agricultural infrastructure. Her experience, she says, taught her that real success in farming means staying aligned with one’s purpose.