18
MY FARM Haymes Farm (UK)
In each edition of “Mushroom Business” we publish an interview with a grower. The emphasis here is on the farm and cultivation methods. This edition offers a portrait of Haymes Farm, one of the two compa- nies that jointly form Chelbury Mushrooms. Haymes Farm, with its tray growing system, is situated close to Cheltenham in the west of England. We interviewed Peter Howard, farm manager since 1996.
By John Peeters
The grower “In 1965 a local electrical engi- neer called Peter Deacon deci- ded to build a small mushroom growing farm here in the Cotswolds, this beautiful region famous for its rolling hills. What really motivated him was his fascination for air treatment and climate control systems. He con- structed a lot himself, and until 1997 he owned the company. As the 1970s merged into the 1980s – the golden era for mushroom growers in England - his acti- vities had started to go beyond the boundaries of a hobby. At the time, the mushrooms were still dispatched to London from Cheltenham by a special train service for vegetables. I started as farm manager here in 1996. Regrettably, Deacon died shortly afterwards, and ownership of the farm passed to the staff. As we were unwilling, and unable, to expand the operation, in 2000 we decided to enter the new, niche market of organic cultivation. That probably explains why the
company is still alive and kicking today. Nevertheless, we were struggling until Marc O’Connor from Ireland acquired the com- pany in 2003. In 2011 the major concern G’s showed interest in our farm, and O’Connor sold it. G’s is a huge grower-to-mar- keting organisation that grows a diverse range of agricultural produce itself in the UK to supply its customers, but until 2011 all the mushrooms were sourced from the Netherlands. That situation has changed, with two other large farms in Dorset and Cambridgeshire now growing mushrooms, while we produce the organic white and chestnut mushrooms for G’s. The huge ad- vantage of being part of the G’s group is that we can invest again, plus we benefit from a great deal of support and any problems we encounter are solved together. You are no longer out on your own, no matter what the situa- tion. That’s an immense bonus.”
Peter Howard in front of some of the pinning sheds “You never walk alone with G’s!”
Cultivation Haymes Farm is a traditional tray growing operation where the mushrooms are cultivated in wooden trays in a multiple-zone system. Each week, 510 trays are filled by a tray filling line with 25 tons of compost inoculated with Amycel Heirloom and 75 tons inoculated with alternate batches of either Sylvan A15 or Lambert 901. The spawned, organically produced compost is supplied by Hooymans in the Netherlands and is supplemen- ted at a rate of 12.5 kg per ton. The filling line fills the trays, applies a layer of casing soil and adds compost to the casing at
the same time by mixing a small proportion of compost through the casing soil before covering the substrate. Harte Peat, Ireland delivers the casing soil. The fil- ling weight is around 84 kg/m2. After the trays have been filled, a forklift transports the trays to sheds where the mycelium is allowed to develop. The white mushrooms are kept separate from the chestnut mushrooms. On Tuesdays the trays are filled with compost with white mushrooms, and on Wednesdays with chestnut mushrooms. There are four dedi- cated sheds for mycelium growth and pinheading for chestnut mushrooms and another four for the white crop. The trays stay in these sheds for a total of 13 days, until the pinheads have emerged. A Dofra spray lorry is used for watering before cool down, at an application rate of between 20 to 28 l/m2. Cool down is done on day six or seven, whereby the room temperature is first reduced straight to 20 degrees, before being gradually reduced further. After 13 days the forklift takes the trays one by one to the picking sheds located about 50 metres away. A four-week cropping cycle is used, producing three flushes. The chestnut mushrooms are re- gularly sprayed with water, while the white mushrooms are only sprayed between flushes. The picking sheds are equipped with new climate units from McKenna in North Ireland, regulated by a Fancom computer. The other sheds contain an older AEM unit with a new Fancom control sys- tem. Production levels for white mushrooms are approximately 330 kg per ton of compost, with 280 kg for chestnuts. The com- pany has 84 permanent employ- ees, including those responsible for packing the produce. Haymes Farm currently has 23 customers, who are served with 23 separate lines – all of which are 100% organic. In line with G’s philosop- hy, the company attaches great importance to the safety of its produce and personnel. The farm holds various accreditations for the UK market, such as BRC, Tesco Nurture, Red Tractor Assured Produce and a number of organic growing certifications.
◗
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44
