Growing Mushrooms w/ Hood Farmer Rob

Hood Farmer Rob with a beautiful foraged Maitake mushroom (also known as Hen of the Woods or Grifola Frondosa in Latin)

Rob Peck, aka Hood Farmer Rob is a Black urban farmer, mushroom grower and educator based in Bridgeport, Connecticut. His love of fungi has led him from cooking up mushrooms to foraging in parks and the forest, to growing mushrooms - both indoors and out -  and now, into the Lab to grow his own spawn. Through his business Hemp Milk & Honey, Hood Farmer Rob is focused on growing food and farmers for the future. One of the ways he’s doing this is through leading mushroom cultivation workshops for networks of Black, Brown and Indigenous growers.

Follow Rob's work at @hoodfarmerrob and through his business @hempmilkhoney both on Instagram. And check out this sweet article about him from CT Farmland Trust. 

Hood Farmer Rob is a member of the Liberated Land Cooperative, a coop of Black, Brown, and Indigenous farmers across CT. They host a state-wide Community Supported Agriculture - CSA during the growing season, as well as many educational opportunities for BIPOC farmers or folks wanting to become farmers. Some upcoming workshops and a conference flyer are among the photos below. Check their social media accounts for more info. You can also see pics of Rob teaching about liquid mycelium culture and grain spawn.

Black Farmer History

In honor of Black History Month, check 400 Years of Resilience on the Black Farmer Fund’s site as well as dozens of great articles on the knowledge and leadership of Black agrarians in the United States and beyond.

SupporT Immigrants in our Communities

I wanted to share some community resources for CT and beyond. As the child of immigrants, the grandchild of holocaust survivors, and just as a caring human, I am absolutely horrified by the attacks on immigrant communities our government is committing. I want to share some supports for Immigrants who are being violently kidnapped, denied legal due process, and dehumanized by ICE. 

SUPPORT FOLKS IN MINNEAPOLIS
To support grassroots groups and find dozens of fundraisers for groups, families and communities in Minneapolis check out this LINK TREE and find one to contribute to.

CONNECTICUT RAPID RESPONSE HOTLINES for reporting ICE activity and finding supports: 
The New Haven area has two: 
- New Haven Immigrants Hotline: 854-666-4472
- Unidad Latina en Acción: 203-606-3484
Hartford area: 959-204-0771
Middlesex Immigrants Rights Association: 203-435-9979
Check out their social media accounts to learn how to properly report ICE activity so you can help spread power and not panic. 

SOME CONNECTICUT BASED IMMIGRANT GROUPS AND ORGANIZATION
Check their social media accounts for more up to the minute info

CT Students for a Dream - State wide
New Haven Immigrants
Unidad Latina en Acción in New Haven 
Hartford Deportation Defense Collective 
Make the Road Bridgeport
Make the Road Hartford 
Greater Danbury Area Unites for Immigrants
Stanford/Norwalk United with Immigrants
Comunidades sin fronteras in Norwalk
Middlesex Immigrants Rights Association - MIRA
New London immigrant defense
IRIS: Integrated Immigrant and refugee Services
Neighbor Fund (Willimantic, Windham & Tolland Counties)
Haitian Hub (New London)
Immigrant Advocacy and Support Center (New London & South East CT)
Muslim Justice Center (New Britain/Berlin/statewide)
Catholic Charities (multiple locations)

CT LEGAL SUPPORTS
- Probono (free) legal services in CT listing
- Legal Aid offices in different cities - free legal support
- Connecticut Institute for Refugees and Immigrants
- Esperanza Law
- Center for Children’s Advocacy 

FOOD SOLIDARITY WORK
Many groups are helping to deliver food to people who have had a family member detained or deported or to people who are scared to leave their homes or neighborhoods due to fear of ICE. This is also impacting many people who are documented and scared of the racial profiling and threats by the govt to remove people’s legal status. If you want to help with food solidarity work, ask what your local food pantries are doing and if they need help with home deliveries or inquire about what any of the groups in your area are doing to help.

CALL YOUR FEDERAL LAW MAKERS
And, last but not least, call your federal law makers to express your views and call for the defunding of ICE. We have humane ways to address immigration laws, and this is not it. FIND YOUR SENATORS AND REPS HERE
FIVE CALLS is an app that makes calling your federal reps easy.

The Table Underground is produced and hosted by Tagan Engel. It airs on the first Tuesday of each month on WPKN 89.5fm community radio in Bridgeport, CT and by podcast and streaming whenever and wherever you get your podcasts (and in the player at the top of this post). Our theme song is by the Passion Hifi. 

February 3, 2026