It all began in 1973, when Jeff Chilton went to work at Ostrom Mushroom Farms in Olympia Washington.

Jeff quickly worked his way up to Grower and ultimately Production Manager. At that time Ostroms was producing over 2 million pounds of fresh Agaricus mushrooms per year and was at the cutting edge of new technologies, including what were then known as specialty mushrooms. A Japanese scientist on staff, Dr. Takashi Urayama, implemented an R+D program which grew Shiitake, Oyster and Enoki mushrooms. Shiitake production was scaled up and fresh shiitake were introduced to the local market in 1978. This was the first fresh shiitake sold on a large scale in the U.S.

Exposure to these new mushroom species as well as a Fellowship to the Dutch School for Mushroom Growers in 1976 gave Jeff a much broader outlook on the mushroom industry and influenced his future path.

In 1983, after 10 years of commercial mushroom growing experience, Jeff co-authored and published the classic book on small-scale mushroom cultivation, The Mushroom Cultivator. That same year he moved his family to British Columbia to start a mushroom spawn laboratory and small speciality mushroom growing facility. By 1989, after much research, it became clear that many of the specialty mushrooms had medicinal properties and this was the wave of the future.

In 1989 Jeff made his first trip to China to attend the International Society for Mushroom Science’s (ISMS) conference in Nanjing and he discovered the depth of mushroom knowledge and production capacity that China offered. The relationships Jeff built over the next 10 years laid the foundation that made Nammex a leader in the new category of medicinal mushrooms. This same year, 1989, Nammex was founded.

Since 1989, Nammex has pioneered the development and manufacture of medicinal mushroom extracts for the nutritional supplement industry. Nammex specializes in medicinal mushroom products and is the premier supplier of organically certified mushroom extracts to nutraceutical and nutritional supplement companies. Our commitment to quality and 35 years of mushroom growing experience is your guarantee of a safe, certain and highly effective product.

Because we focus entirely on mushrooms, we have been able to identify the active compounds in our products with an aggressive program of research and development. Our mushroom extracts are defined by scientific analysis. This means that you can guarantee to your customers that the important active compounds for which mushrooms are well known will be present. The Nammex mushroom testing fingerprint is fast becoming the industry standard.

Our medicinal mushroom product line is a complete source for wholesale distribution to nutraceutical, functional food, and tonic drink manufacturers. We offer guaranteed quality standards based on accredited Good Manufacturing Practices. We have a complete line of Organically Certified mushroom powders and extracts and we offer quick and reliable shipment within North America. Medicinal mushrooms are our speciality. We can help your company make the right decision.

Mycologist Paul Stamets is the author of seven books. He is an invention ambassador for the American Association for the Advancement of Science and was inducted into The Explorer’s Club in 2020. He has received numerous awards, including the National Mycologist Award from the North American Mycological Association, the Gordon and Tina Wasson Award from the Mycological Society of America, the Disruptor Award from NextMed, and the SynBioBeta Lifetime Achievement Award.

He has named numerous new species of psilocybin mushrooms, and a new mushroom species has recently been named after him: Psilocybe stametsii. 

He is a collaborator with numerous scientific organizations and research institutes. His research is considered breakthrough by thought leaders for creating a paradigm shift for helping ecosystems worldwide.

His work has entered the mainstream of popular culture: In the new Star Trek: Discovery series on CBS, the science officer is portrayed by an astromycologist, Lt. Commander Paul Stamets. His work with mycelium has become a central theme of this series. In addition, he is the primary guide to the incredible mushroom documentary Fantastic Fungi, which first appeared in theaters in fall 2019, with a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.