Duality Blends Origin Story

I’ve always liked mushrooms. Thai food is my favorite, and there’s nothing better than a hot bowl of Tom Kha soup with Shiitake mushrooms floating on top. I’ve also long been curious about mushrooms and their benefits, and I wasn’t a stranger to Lion’s Mane powder before all of this began.

This business actually started back in February, right in the grocery store, as my girlfriend, Kodi, and I were complaining about the high price of low-quality mushrooms. I have a tendency to take things too far and make big leaps, so two weekends later, imagine the shock on Kodi’s face when she showed up at my door just as several large boxes arrived containing substrate, humidifiers, and Martha tents.

We both have entrepreneurial minds and business degrees, but I originally just planned to grow mushrooms for ourselves-experimenting with different species and learning as we went. (For anyone looking to get into mushrooms, growing them yourself can be extremely rewarding and more cost-effective than any other option. We started with North Spore fruiting blocks, and they have kits for every variety and size you could want, even easy sink-side grow bags for fresh mushrooms right in your kitchen.)

Pretty soon, we had way more mushrooms than we could eat. We “borrowed” (stole, sorry Stacy!) a dehydrator from Kodi’s mom to preserve them, which led to us experimenting with mushroom powders. We discovered how easy it was to add a boost to coffee, teas, and meals, and it tasted great, too. These powders are now available on DualityBlends.com.

I live close to the famous Kansas City River Market and started chatting with mushroom growers, touring MO Mushrooms, volunteering at KC Urban Farm Day with MycoPlanet, and learning more about urban farms, sustainable growing practices, and the potential for mushrooms in everyone’s life. It opened my eyes to how welcoming and generous the mycology community truly is. Growers and enthusiasts were always willing to share tips, troubleshooting advice, and encouragement, whether it was about humidity dial-ins or how they got their business off the ground. It felt like stepping into a community that wanted us to succeed, even though on paper we were competitors, and that spirit shaped how we wanted to share mushrooms with others. 

My mom encouraged me to check out my hometown farmers market, and after more research, paperwork, and a few thousand hours spent on packaging, logos, marketing (thanks Kodi!), and permits, we launched DualityBlends.com and nearly sold out at our first two farmers markets.

Duality Blends has long been a concept that speaks to me. Mushrooms are both functional and delicious, they are traditional and new, scientific and spiritual. As a “new adult” freshly graduated from college, I wanted to intentionally shape my life around creativity and cultivation, I was afraid to be stuck in a life of consumption. I’m lucky that Kodi puts up with all my wild ideas while keeping me grounded, always thinking of the small steps it takes to reach my big goals.

Since then, we’ve expanded with more Martha tents, a bigger dehydrator, and added two more farmers markets. Each week we get to connect with friends, family, fellow growers, and customers who stop by to share recipes, stories, and most importantly, curiosity about fungi. We are also still learning, testing mushroom recipes, experimenting with growing conditions and varieties, and reading more about mycelium than I ever thought possible. I am so blessed and excited to see where this goes.

Thank you for coming along with us, supporting local, and bringing mushrooms into your kitchen and daily routines. We can’t wait to keep growing with you.

—
Tucker Wilson + the Duality Blends Team (Kodi Rogers)
“Where cultivating and creativity combine.”