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Columbus, Ohio boy starts mushroom business

An 8-year-old boy in Columbus, Ohio has turned his hobby into a family business. Te’Lario Watkins II began growing mushrooms at home as a Tiger Scout project, but found he had grown too many.

“We grew so many mushrooms we couldn’t eat them all, so we might as well have started a business, says Te’Lario.

Watkins began growing his mushrooms from kits. As more mushrooms grew, he and his family started Tiger Mushroom Farms to market the mushrooms they were growing. His father, Te’Lario Watkins says it was an educational opportunity for their two children.

“My wife and I being school teachers, we figured we’d take a look at selling them at the farmers markets during the summer. We thought it’d be a cool idea to get the kids interested in entrepreneurship and learning about commerce and retail,” says Watkins.

The business took off. Last summer, Tiger Mushroom Farms sold product several markets around Columbus and at least one restaurant in Cleveland. As for what is next, the younger Te’Lario has big ambitions.

“I want to be President of the United States,” says Te’Lario.

More about the Tiger Mushroom Farms

Audio: Interview with the Watkins Family