MUSHROOM WEEK
‘Let’s all become Blenditarians!’
sustainability/health/ flavour as a mission he shares with global partners. “Our core principles are friends, fun and profit , according to Klerken, whose plans include degradable packaging and vitamin D.
Bart Minor, representing the American Mushroom Council, updated us on the project (see MB69) in which meat in a traditional hamburger is, partially, replaced by mushrooms. The worldwide demand for meat is set to double in the near future. This is a worrying trend, than can be reversed - to some extent - by blending meat and mushrooms. Trials in the USA revealed that schoolchildren preferred the blended hamburger to the conventional one. “Let’s become Blenditarians!” Evert Jan Mink from France Champignon / Bonduelle explained how you can still be successful even in a dwindling market for preserved mushrooms. Not by making concessi- ons to quality, but by rebranding, enhancing quality and good communication with consu- mers (less water in the mushrooms) and greater emphasis on local production - in this case the Loire valley.
In a debate with the chairman of the session, Seymour, the experts agreed that mushrooms should increasingly be seen as healthy and special produce, and no longer as bulk produce low on content and taste. That’s very positive news!
A group of ISMS delegates at the stand of Vullings at BVB Euroveen, during the company visits.
Aerated compost One of the sessions on Tuesday morning returned to the topic of compost. Joe Pecchia (Penn State), indicated that replacing wheat straw with maize straw should be possible, i.e. the part of the plant that the cob has been removed from. “We grow a lot of maize in the USA, so it is widely available and cheap. The results until now are encouraging, and show that production can certainly compete on a level with compost made using wheat straw.” A lecture of great interest for growers and composters was given by Johan Janssen from Hollander Spawn. Janssen, who previously worked at the mushroom trial station, Theeuwen Compost and the vocational training school for mushroom growers, has closely followed developments in the composting world and created an overview of aerated composting. “In 1969 it was standard practice to prewet when anaerobic compost. Aeration only really started from 1972, at Kuhn in Switzerland, where the practice of aerating really took off. In 1978, when I worked at Theeuwen, we placed spigots underneath the flat heaps and windrows, but at the time we didn’t notice any particular advan-
10 MUSHROOM BUSINESS
At the Champfood party.
tages of using the system. Later, in 1987, when Kuhn constructed a Sohm-system of composting with aeration, the true advantages became apparent. Back then there was a lot of discussion about high and low temperatures during the process. Many people believed you could ferment at a temperature of 45-50 degrees Celsius. If you aerate, the temperature in the material can easily reach 80 degrees or higher. In 1989, researcher Laborde, proposed a system of an aerated prewet of 45 degrees and fermentation at 80 degrees. That is actually what we still do nowadays, but – and particularly in the Nether- lands – people tend to overlook the fact that horse manure supplied has already built up biomass at 40-50 degrees. Fermentation itself takes place at high temperatures, usually in a bunker, where various aeration time intervals safeguard an optimal process. But with straw too, it’s important to create biomass first by applying a temperature zone of 40-50 degrees.”
Farm walks and more On Tuesday 31 may, the conference attendees could choose one of the farm walks. Transport by coach was provided to a host of locations. The companies on offer formed a good cross section of the Dutch mushroom sector. There was a great atmosphere, and luckily no problems with traffic.
In the slipstream of Mushroom Week, industry suppliers (Christiaens, Havens, Topterra, Sylvan, and Walkro) also organised a variety of activities. The biggest bash, however, was reserved for Champfood, who threw a party to mark the 25th anniversary of the company. Everyone invited was treated to a tour of the premises in Vier- lingsbeek on 31 May, after which company founders Jan Balthussen and his father-in-law were presented with a renovated press which they used to produce the first Champfood badges. The entire group them moved to the
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