Boise Native And Former NFL QB Jake Plummer Leading A Mushroom Revolution

Leaving their sport behind can be difficult for athletes once they decide to retire. They spent their entire lives on the field, giving it their all. Sometimes, it's all they know.

That can make retirement difficult on athletes, both physically and mentally. They can feel lost and worthless. However, former NFL QB, and Boise native, Jake Plummer has found a new labor of love as a mushroom farmer in Colorado.

Plummer, a Capital High graduate, co-founded Mycolove Farm last year, its a medicinal and culinary mushroom farm roughly 30 miles outside of Denver.

The former Pro Bowler said that he learned about mushrooms and their benefits while working with a CBD manufacturer back in 2007. At the time, he was taking those extracts to help improve his health and his sleep, a proven benefit of CBD.

At the beginning of the pandemic, Plummer says he started taking functional mushrooms. According to him he felt the results almost immediately. Back in May, he told the Denver Westworld, "I felt like I was protected from getting sick. My immune system was boosted. My allergies went away. I rested better."

You can tell he's proud in his newfound love and company. Just listen to the way he talks about the company! He showed off some of his mushrooms on his Instagram.

Along with former UFC Champion Rashad Evan, Plummer co-founded a bar and supplement company called Umbo. Their products were a mix of mushrooms and CBD, all natural medications Plummer is familiar with.

However, due to supply chain issues, the company didn't survive the COVID-19 pandemic. That's when Plummer decided to fix the supply issue by farming the mushrooms himself, instead. That's when he co-founded Mycolove Farm with Shane Schoolman, Leo Pollio, and Michael Heim back in October of 2021.

Right now, the company is small, making about $8,000 per month in revenue, but the future is bright and Plummer says they're "past the experimental stage."

He says, "We experimented for a few months and now we know we can do it. Now it's just phasing into that whole big step up as a business and a start-up. We've got to have a good product, get people to take it, get it into all the local places we can get it to. Then comes the obvious star-up conundrums, scaling, finding investors, finding bigger space, more employees, possible, as we go. How far this goes, we don't know yet."

Finding Alternatives To Western Medicine

Common painkillers and opioids can come with intense side-effects, are habit-forming, and become less effective over time. That's why Plummer is very interested in finding alternatives to Western Medicine. He was one of the first athletes to push the NFL to consider CBD and hemp products for pain relief, instead of reliance on opioids.

Many athletes develop addiction to the opioids they are prescribed to deal with pain from the sport. That pain can be intense, and they needs instant relief. What they don't need are all the potential problems that come along with opioids.

The National Football League is yet to take a league-wide stance on supplements like CBD or functional mushrooms. However, these alternatives are finding their way into the system.

Flexpower, a natural pain-relief cream developed by former Cal Berkeley athlete Rasheen Smith has reportedly been used by the San Francisco 49ers and the Chicago Bulls in the NBA.

Jake Plummer isn't the only Pro Bowl Quarterback supporting CBD and alternatives to Western Medicine. Tom Brady is also a huge supporter of these sorts of medications. Ever hear of him? You know, the winningest Super Bowl quarterback of all-time. Often considered the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time). Brady is well-known not just for his abilities on the field, but for his strict and mostly plant-based alkaline diet. He has been known to be a fan of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to help support his health and his personal plan. Mushrooms play a large role in TCM.

Plummer actually compares his interest in mushrooms to football and playing the long game, saying, "For me, my grandpa had Alzheimer's and, also doing what I did for a living, I'm trying to do anything that can help me re-grow nerves and help get me back to square, which is what I'm feeling. everybody wants to live a long life, I would think. I do. Longevity, vitality, not just a long life but living a good life, not just in a wheelchair until you're 120. I plan to be 110 and still active. That's my goal."

Well, considering Tom Brady is still going strong as one of the best QBs in the league at 45, I think Jake has a good shot at accomplishing his goal.

This week, Jake Plummer sat down with an interview at his Mushroom Farm with the guys from Barstool Sports podcast 'Pardon My Take' to talk about life after football and his new ventures. Very cool interview!

Jake Plummer isn't the only famous NFL player from Idaho. Check out this list to see more NFL stars from Idaho and the surrounding states.

Here in Idaho, we are no strangers to alternative medicines. In fact, funding was just approved for an amazing mental health initiative.