By Peter Roos
Born and raised in Cuba, Reysa earned a degree in microbiology from the University of Havana. Graduating in 1988, she worked in a plant biology research center. In 1992, Reysa’s husband took the journey to the US. In 1993, Reysa had to leave her position in order to meet the requirements to immigrate to the U.S. Reysa had a 2-year-old daughter and it took eight years for her to reunite with her husband in Miami.
Reysa immediately went to work as a pharmacy tech. After 9/11 when the pharmacy closed, Reysa came to Tampa, where she liked the atmosphere and the Cuban heritage. She found employment with a compounding pharmacy, researching, and preparing items not yet available on the market. She got her national certification in compounding pharmacy, and she was in charge of sterile preparations such as eye drops, injections, and topical products.
A health scare led Reysa to start reading and researching a lot about healthy trends for the body. Tired of the 8-5 routine and wanting to do something meaningful, Reysa’s research led her to the benefits of mushrooms, which she decided to cultivate and market. She gathered the equipment needed and turned her backyard shed into a lab. She built a small temperature & humidity controlled green house and added 24/7 music to the greenhouse utilizing specific frequencies to keep the mushrooms happy.
Due to the physical nature of growing and being a one-woman operation Reysa decided to keep her line small and simple. Each mushroom variety requires different methods of care and so she decided not to spread herself too thin and specialize. She wanted to educate the public on the benefits of these “fabulous fungi” and opted out of the offers from many restaurants that wanted her to grow for them.
She joined the Dunedin Downtown Market in August 2019 and the Corey Sunday Market in October 2019. Reysa is still at the markets today with her Sun Rey Mushrooms, supplying Oyster (Pink, Golden or Blue), Lions Mane, Reishi and Turkey Tail Mushrooms, both fresh and dried. These are all a spectacular addition to any meal. Reysa also creates tinctures that provide amazing health benefits, including an immune tincture for your pups! Mushrooms are not all about cooking – ask Reysa about the health benefits of her offerings Sundays at the Corey Ave Market. * Due to the nature of growing, her market schedule varies, so find it on www.sunraysmushrooms.com.