Real Mushrooms Through the Years: A Legacy of Innovation in Functional Mushrooms

7 minute read

Skye ChiltonOct 20, 2025

Real Mushrooms Through the Years: A Legacy of Innovation in Functional Mushrooms

Real Mushrooms was born from a decades-long mission to transform the functional mushroom industry from the ground up through unmatched quality, responsible sourcing, and rigorous testing standards. From Jeff Chilton’s pioneering work in the 1970s to the 2015 founding of Real Mushrooms by his son, Skye Chilton, our timeline traces company roots and milestones that continue to shape our journey. Each chapter reflects our commitment to research, develop, and share the unique potential of real mushrooms.

1973 – Jeff Chilton Starts His Career in the Mushroom Industry
1983 – The Mushroom Cultivator Redefines Home Growing
1989 – The Founding of Nammex
1990s – Fundamental Product Testing
1996 – Setting the Groundwork for Organic Farming in China
Early 2000s – Leaning into Authenticity
2014 – Skye Chilton Joins the Mission
2015 – Real Mushrooms Is Born
2015 – Raising the Bar with Testing Transparency
2019 – Gaining Traction in the Functional Wellness Movement
2022 – Expanding into Pet Wellness
2022 - 2025 Four-Time Winner of ConsumerLab’s Top Supplement Brand
What’s Next?

1973 – Jeff Chilton Starts His Career in the Mushroom Industry

man working on a table with wood logs along with other 3 people — Jeff during the early days of his mushroom career.

A pivotal moment in North American mushroom history quietly takes root. After studying Ethno-mycology at the University of Washington in the late sixties, Jeff Chilton steps into the world of commercial mushroom cultivation at Ostroms, the largest mushroom farm in Washington State. Over the next decade, he oversees and manages the annual production of over 2 million pounds of Agaricus mushrooms.

Jeff helped pioneer the cultivation of Shiitake, Enokitake, and Oyster mushrooms decades before they were recognised as functional mushrooms in the West. This early work planted the seed that would become a lifetime dedicated to mushroom education and innovation, a legacy that continues to thrive through Real Mushrooms today.

1983 – The Mushroom Cultivator Redefines Home Growing

Jeff, his wife, and baby holding a book titled The Mushroom Cultivator — Jeff and his family pictured with The Mushroom Cultivator, 1983.

Jeff co-authored The Mushroom Cultivator in 1983 with a young and inquisitive mycology student named Paul Stamets. This groundbreaking publication introduced advanced mushroom growing techniques to North American home cultivators, unlocking knowledge that was previously limited to academic or commercial circles. More than just a how-to manual, the book became a foundational text in modern mycology, helping to ignite a widespread interest in cultivation for an entire generation of mushroom enthusiasts.

1989 – The Founding of Nammex

Turning his attention to the functional side of the supplement industry, Jeff launches North American Medicinal Mushroom Extracts—better known as Nammex, with a goal to supply the functional side of the supplement industry. Realizing that cultivating fresh mushrooms and drying them out for the functional mushroom market wasn’t economically viable in North America, Nammex began to grow and sell reishi mycelium biomass, now more broadly called mycelium fermented grain. Nammex appropriately labels this locally grown product, “Mycelium Biomass.”

Jeff’s first trip to China in 1989 and further trips during the 1990s served as inspiring introductions to the sourcing of high-quality, organic mushroom extracts.

1990s – Fundamental Product Testing

Remaining forever ahead of the curve at a time when “functional mushrooms” have yet to enter the wellness mainstream, Nammex leads the way in setting new testing standards for how mushroom supplements are produced and evaluated, becoming the first company to introduce Certified Organic mushroom extracts into the North American supplement market. Nammex also implements the first Reishi mushroom triterpenoid testing and offers guaranteed potency Reishi extracts. Nammex thus set the bar for the quality and testing standards that we have come to appreciate and rely on today.

1996 – Setting the Groundwork for Organic Farming in China

photo of a group of people at the International Training Course on Organic Food of OCIA Standard and Certifying method in China — Jeff at the first organic certification workshop for Chinese mushroom growers, 1996.

Recognizing China’s long history of mushroom cultivation, Jeff travels to the source, where mushrooms have been revered, studied, and farmed for over 800 years. He organized the first organic mushroom growers’ workshop in China, bringing US organic certifiers (OCIA) together with local growers under a shared, unified vision to elevate cultivation standards and bridge Eastern traditions with Western quality. This landmark workshop lays the groundwork for long-term partnerships with local mushroom-growing regions, many of which continue to supply premium functional mushrooms to this day.

By setting new benchmarks for organic growing, sustainability, transparency, and authenticity, this moment became a cornerstone in Real Mushrooms' sourcing philosophy and harmoniously merges Eastern and Western practices.

Early 2000s – Leaning into Authenticity

Jeff holding a video camera inside a reishi growing facility

After forming deep relationships in China, and with new organic certifications and testing capabilities showing the true compounds of functional mushrooms, Jeff ends the production of Reishi mycelium biomass grown in Canada and only offers genuine functional mushrooms, organically grown in China. This was a pivotal moment at Nammex, setting the foundations for things to come.

During this period, Jeff shares his work at trade shows and educates influential trade groups on the traditional use and emerging science of mushrooms, further championing and promoting the incorporation of functional mushrooms into the standard herbal product lines in the supplement industry.

2014 – Skye Chilton Joins the Mission

Skye and Jeff inside a reishi growing facility in China

Jeff’s son, Skye Chilton, joins Nammex, bringing the vision and energy of a new generation to the business. He quickly recognizes a growing gap in the evolving wellness space: while mushroom extracts are gaining traction in the supplement industry, consumers still lack access to products that are fully transparent. Skye envisions a brand that speaks directly to the customer, that delivers high-quality mushroom extracts without compromise, and empowers people to take charge of their wellness through informed choices. That vision takes root in the form of Real Mushrooms.

2015 – Real Mushrooms Is Born

Skye holding a reishi and another mushroom with his hands with a table of mushroom products in front of him — Skye launches Real Mushrooms.

Skye launches Real Mushrooms, building off of Nammex’s 25 years of supply chain and product expertise, bringing his vision of offering extracts made from 100% mushrooms (fruiting bodies) with no grains, no starch, and no fillers, to life. From the start, Real Mushrooms sets itself apart with rigorous testing standards, process-driven certifications, and a commitment to accessible, science-backed education. Real Mushrooms quickly earns the trust of integrative health practitioners, wellness professionals, and discerning consumers.

bottle of Real Mushrooms 5 Defenders capsule bottle on top of a reishi mushroom — 5 Defenders Capsules.

From day one, 5 Defenders has been a foundational product, featuring a unique blend of five functional mushrooms - Turkey Tail, Reishi, Maitake, Shiitake, and Chaga - traditionally used to support immune system health and promote overall wellness. From its early apothecary-style packaging to today’s clean, modern look, this cornerstone formula is highly valued by health professionals for its simplicity and roots in traditional use.

2015 – Raising the Bar with Testing Transparency

image of mushrooms with a lable of Redefining Medicinal Mushrooms by Nammex — A new scientific screening program for active compounds is introduced by Nammex.

Not one to rest on previous achievements, Jeff continues to push the industry further by publishing a groundbreaking white paper introducing new industry-wide testing standards for mushroom supplements, focusing on the quantification of the key active compounds beta-glucans, triterpenoids, and ergosterol. These bioactive markers are essential indicators of mushroom potency and authenticity, yet they were not being utilized in the broader supplement market.

Real Mushrooms integrates this testing framework from day one, ensuring that every product is backed by verified third-party analysis. By spotlighting the compounds that truly matter, Real Mushrooms helps shift the industry toward greater scientific accuracy and accountability, setting a new benchmark for quality that continues to influence how functional mushroom supplements are evaluated and trusted, ensuring a consistent user experience.

2019 – Gaining Traction in the Functional Wellness Movement

Lee Carroll, Joni Kamlet, Dr Rob Silver, and Britta — Some of the Real Mushrooms science team: Dr. Rob Silver DVM, MS, Joni Kamlet RVT, CCRA, Lee Carroll, BSc, BHSc.

As interest in functional mushrooms like Lion’s Mane, Chaga, and Reishi grows, Real Mushrooms gains widespread recognition among health-conscious consumers and wellness professionals. In a sea of wellness brands, Real Mushrooms stands out for its unwavering commitment to transparency, sourcing integrity, and education.

Real Mushrooms expands its product line to meet growing demand, while building a loyal community through practitioner referrals and a customer-first approach to education. With its focus on quality over trends, Real Mushrooms emerges as a trusted leading expert in functional mushroom extracts.

2022 – Expanding into Pet Wellness

Dr. Rob Silver with a woman and a table of Real Mushrooms products in front of them — Chief Veterinary Officer Dr. Rob Silver DVM, MS.

Real Mushrooms launches its first pet supplement line, co-formulated with integrative veterinarian Dr. Rob Silver DVM, MS.The line is developed using the same standards of purity, potency, and transparency that define the brand’s human products, using formulations that help support normal immune function and promote overall vitality in pets. This launch extends Real Mushrooms' commitment to wellness, supporting the health of the whole family, including its four-legged members.

2022 - 2025 Four-Time Winner of ConsumerLab’s Top Supplement Brand

Real Mushrooms is awarded "Top Mushroom Supplement" by ConsumerLab for a 4th time.

Real Mushrooms is recognized by consumers as one of the most trusted and fastest-growing mushroom supplement brands in North America. For the fourth consecutive year, Real Mushrooms earns ConsumerLab’s Best Mushroom Supplement Company award, further solidifying its position as a trusted industry leader in the functional mushroom space.

This recognition reflects the brand’s unwavering commitment to transparency, third-party testing, and uncompromising product integrity. Praised by both consumers and the functional mushroom community, Real Mushrooms continues to set the standard for what mushroom supplements should be: pure, potent, real. As the industry continues to grow, Real Mushrooms stands out not just for its longevity but also for consistently raising the bar in quality, education, and consumer trust.

What’s Next?

As the global wellness community increasingly embraces the emerging role of fungi in supporting health and wellness, Real Mushrooms continues to honor its founding mission: delivering functional mushroom supplements that are backed by science, crafted with integrity, and guided by decades of cultivation experience. With a commitment to innovation and a respect for tradition, Real Mushrooms is shaping the future of functional mushrooms.

Shop mushroom text with mushrooms in the background image