It is hard to know where to start but I’ll start with why we closed up shop for almost six months.  Last November, my life and my family’s lives were turned upside down.  While I was teaching a class at my job of over 22 years, I was asked by the administration to step into the hallway where I was greeted by a police officer.  I was told that I was being placed under arrest for “suspicion of growing psychedelic mushrooms.”

I was arrested for the first time in my life, placed in handcuffs, and driven to my house.  On the way, I was informed that the police conducted a warrantless trash pull of my garbage and found evidence of growing psychedelic mushrooms.  I was asked if I had any weapons and for the location of my mushroom room.  Multiple police officers (several armed with rifles), conducted a search of my home while my teenage daughter was home.  After conducting their search, I was booked into jail for the first time in my life at 48 years of age.

I was released on bond and am facing up to 10 years in prison.  Since being charged, I have tried to do the right things.  I went to treatment for an addiction and have been sober for over six months now.  I then resigned from my job of over 22 years.  Due to pending charges, it took many months for me to find a job.  Due to legal costs, months without work, and now making substantially less money, it has led to finnacial devastation.  In addition to the time without work, reduced pay, etc, the legal expenses have piled up.  I lost my life savings and spent my pension and am on the verge of financial ruin.

Not being a quitter, I have worked hard to restart my legal online business selling mushroom growing supplies and expanding our offerings to now include all-in-one grow bags, colonized agar plates, and liquid cultures of gourmet mushrooms (coming soon).

I have teamed up with the generous support of the owners of NUCO-Myco in Colorado to re-open my store.  They have graciously offered to help with production and we will be offering the same quality products as before with even more options in the very near future.  I wouldn’t be able to do this without their support, which I will forever be grateful for.

Each day, I anxiously await a ruling from the Iowa Supreme Court which will determine my future.  Just three years ago, the IA Supreme Court ruled that warrantless trash pulls were a violation of the Iowa Constitution’s privacy protections.  However, the very next year, the Republican IA legislature passed a bill which stated that Iowans have no expectations of privacy in their garbage which the governor signed.

If the court upholds their ruling from just three years ago, the search of my home will have been illegal.  It is the sole purview of the Supreme Court to interpret the constitution, and the legislature cannot overturn a supreme court decision through legislative fiat.  I hope the court ignores partisan politics and upholds their recent ruling and sends a message to the legislature; however, I am not overly optimistic since it was a 5-4 decision and one of the majority retired and was replaced by an appointee of our Republican Gov Kim Reynolds.  If the court conceeds their power and defers to the legislature, I will plead with the court to show mercy since I have never been in trouble before and have made many positive changes.

I have lost almost everything but still have the love and support of my family which is the most important thing to me.  I cannot control what the court will do, so I am leaving that up to God.  I am just going to continue to work hard and do what I think is right and best for my family.  For those of you supporting my business, I can’t thank you enough and will work tirelessly like I have in the past to answer all of your questions.  And for those of you who have or are considering donating to my GoFund Me (https://gofund.me/c9f147d7), you truly are angels.

Thank you everyone for your support.

Warm Regards,

Rob Roane, Owner
MidWest Fresh Mushrooms

www.midwestfreshmushrooms.com