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CANADA Free the Spirit… Unleash the Mind
This was the theme of the 22nd North American Mushroom Conference (NAMC), organised from 22 - 24 June 2013 in Vancouver, Canada. The lectures also reflected the essence of this theme and were primarily aimed at encoura- ging broadening the horizon at management level.
By Jan Gielen, DLV Plant Mushrooms
Despite my many previous trips to North America and Canada, a visit to Vancouver, and the NAMC, was a new experience for me. Vancouver is situated in British Columbia, and named after George Vancouver, a naval officer in the British Royal Navy who explored and charted large parts of British Colombia in the eighteen century. Interestingly, he was a descendant of the Dutch noble family of van Coeverden. The city itself is home to around 600,000 inhabitants with a further 2.3 million living in the Greater Vancouver area, making it by far the most densely populated area in British Colombia. Vancouver is also famed for its large harbour, playing host to the Olympic Winter games in 2010 and the spectacular nature that surrounds the city.
Vancouver view. Photo: Jan Gielen.
The Kwakwaka’wakw The start of the biennial NAMC was launched on Saturday morning by a trio of sporting activities for participants to choose from, sponsored by All Seasons Mushrooms. The options were a round of golf, a 5 km run, and - for the less fanatic- a walk through Stanley Park. As I enjoy a weekend walking with colleagues from the mushroom sector once a year, I decided
to join the walk through Stanley Park as part of my preparations. It would certainly help boost my stamina! The 5-km runners were all dressed in striking yellow T-shirts, which also promoted mushrooms at the same time. During the route though the park, I came across a collection of totem poles, each one with its own unique history. The Kwakwaka’wakw are the indigenous inha- bitants of the region. Weaving and wood carving were important elements of Kwakwaka’wakw craft culture. A totem pole is a large sculpture carved from wood, mostly western red cedar, and is considered to have scared significance. Totem poles display creatures and animals that depict family crests and clan membership .One of these animals is the thunderbird, a giant, mythical creature that dwells in the clouds and makes thunder and lightning. The thunderbird features in the logo of the NAMC 2013. The official opening of the NAMC, followed by a reception, was held in the evening. It was attended by the majority of the 200 registered participants. It is always satisfying to see just how good the international network is in the mushroom sector. Alongside the North American and Canadian participants were many inter- national delegates, including a large Dutch delegation. This is of course due to the large number of Dutch companies that supply the mushroom growing sector in North America.
Nature and climate The business program started on Sunday morning with a series of lectures, alternated with panel discussions. As the introduction to his article mentions, these lectu- res were mainly intended to free the minds of people working at management level. Jack Uldrich gave a presentation about the future trends that will impact on the agri-business sector. Many of these future develop- ments will be IT-related, and things are set to change at an incredible pace. This will create new sensors for the agricultural sector and open up a whole new range of possibilities. Dr. David Sauchyn spoke on the influence of global warming. The warming of our climate will not only extend the growing season, but also make it drier. This drier climate will lead to a reduction in straw production. Brett Wills explored the meaning of sustai-
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