Catching Up With Nick, The Old Mushroom Farm Owner

Wait, what is The Old Mushroom Farm, and who is Nicholas Crooks? For those who need some filling in, check out our blog post about the History Of The Old Mushroom Farm, and how the mushroom farmer-turned-architect, Nick Crooks, has renovated old agricultural buildings and created an artisan hub on the Midlands Meander, just outside Howick. 

In this video, we catch up with Nicholas Crooks himself to find out what his vision is for the farm and what really matters to him.

Seated in Boutique Apartment 2, Nick catches up with Ker Stanley (interviewer/ videographer) and Sandy Chowles (The Old Mushroom Farm’s manager) on how far The Old Mushroom Farm has come since renovations started around ten years ago. Nick has been fixing up the old farm buildings, changing them from agricultural to people-oriented spaces. The Old Mushroom Farm welcomes day visitors to the Tunnels, Walking Trail, and Gardens, and offers holiday-makers B&B accommodation in interesting repurposed buildings. The Tunnels host a collective of artisan enterprises including shops/ workshops, event spaces and eateries. 

As a Midlands local, Nick “tries to chill out on weekends” (which usually includes a drive to Durban for a surf). However, we can confirm that for weekend visitors to the Midlands, there is plenty to do. The Old Mushroom Farm is in the heart of the Midlands, just 10 minutes from Howick on the Karkloof Road, with world-class mountain biking trails, waterfall hikes, Karkloof Canopy Tour, and Midlands Meander on our doorstep. 

Nick’s vision is to create a village of The Old Mushroom Farm- an active, vibrant space that serves the public. Already, The Old Mushroom Farm has a core community of artisans who are working on their creative enterprises, and is also open for members of the public to visit and enjoy themselves. A setup inspired by the Bauhaus school, where various creative forms, including textile craft, fine art, industrial design and architecture were unified under one roof. The Old Mushroom Farm retains an industrial feel in this way, particularly in the Tunnels where makers produce and sell their work. Nick believes there is a need for this type of physical community space, particularly in the context of the busy digital world.

Opening up the Tunnels to artisans was initially a byproduct of wanting to make the farm more interesting for accommodation guests. In the early stages of fixing up The Old Mushroom Farm, weekenders had to find their own means of entertainment; now The Old Mushroom Farm is a source of entertainment for the whole Karkloof area, laughs Nick. The gardens are an extension of this, expanding the meandering path of curiosity. Nick describes The Old Mushroom Farm as “a labyrinth of enquiry”, enabling curiosity in others with old buildings, shops and gardens to explore.

In terms of town planning, the layout of the existing farm buildings is a bit arbitrary- a result of previous owners' ad-hoc additions to existing infrastructure- “a shed here” and “a reservoir there”. Working with these constraints has been an interesting project for Nick, who is having fun thinking about urban spatial layouts and how people interact with spaces.

At the core of it, Nick values family. He doesn’t see himself as an island or a singular figure in the story, but credits his kin and lineage for supporting and influencing him in various ways. Nick believes that everyone is a product of their family. In turn, “making and makers are important to me”, says Nick, “because I am a maker.” Nick comes from a family of makers- architects, musicians, designers, artists- and believes this to be the Crooks’ way of expressing, “the Crooks tendency”. If Nick had his way, the world would have more apprenticeships and mentorship opportunities. Perhaps the lack of community support and family-esque structure in society is what drives Nick to create a sense of belonging at The Old Mushroom Farm.

We invite you to come and see The Old Mushroom Farm for yourself! Attend an event, visit for the day, or book a stay in one of our holiday accommodation options.