It looks like we are not going to have any winter this season in Europe. On the contrary. It is very wet and humidity is very high.
This has its reflection on compost and casing.
If raw materials for compost are stored outside or under just a roof, they are evaporating less water and in the same time some materials get wet by the rain.

What really matters in mushroom picking in mushroom growing farms?

Almost every professional, prosperous mushroom growing farm uses specially designed trolleys for mushroom picking. This is very important because it’s the labor cost of the employee and its optimization that are crucial for owners of mushroom growing farms. 

A well-designed trolley supports the picker by allowing them to pick mushrooms very quickly while maintaining a minimum of physical effort, which is after all necessary to carry out the harvest in an optimal way.

Trolley manufacturers around the world are trying to deliver increasingly efficient trolleys. Efficient, i.e., those that maximize the speed of the picking while maintaining durability, ergonomic and safety of the employee.

What solutions does a modern mushroom picking trolley offer?

For an owner of a mushroom growing farm, the solutions that directly accelerate mushroom picking are the most important ones and they include, among others:

• movement of the platform to the right and the left is crucial so that the worker can move along the shelving automatically; 
• the platform must be powered fully automatically so that the trolley does not need to be moved manually, and for this purpose, the best solution seems to be a simple remote control where the worker selects the "front" or "back" button;
• it is important to move the trolley up and down because the racks have many shelves, and the employee should not waste time and energy to reach them physically (all this should be easily managed in one place from the control panel);
• in the case of upward and downward movement of the platform, it is important that the trolley is made in such a way as to also enable ergonomic picking of mushrooms from the bottom shelf of the shelving; 

Another important factor affecting performance is the power supply of the trolley:

• we use batteries, and these must be characterized by an optimally short charging time and very high capacity, so that the employee can operate without interruption even for several dozen hours (but also, they cannot be too heavy and large for them to still remain mobile)

Small but important improvements come in handy:

• good lighting from the trolley, because during the picking, the employee constantly evaluates whether the mushroom is suitable for picking or not, and the better illuminated shelves the less tired the picker's vision;

• weight shelves and mushroom containers, preferably large and adjustable, to adapt them to the conditions and standards of the country concerned;

Accidents at work equal the cost of time-off and sickness, so good trolleys must be safe. Examples of top-quality trolley safety features include:

• anti-fall guardrails which prevent the operation of the trolley without closing them, 
• safety brakes which stop the trolley itself when it hits an obstacle or during a potential uncontrolled fall of the platform; 
• protection against cutting the hand or arm of the picker during platform manipulation;
• non-slip platform, which makes moving in humid conditions less risky;
• the overall design of the trolley made at minimum in accordance with the safety regulations covered by the CE Machinery Directive
  
  

Click here for larger size image.

What is selective picking and what are its results?

Selective picking is the synergy of the traits associated with the trolley’s mobility. The key to a mushroom growing farm’s profitability is to provide an employee with solutions that allow them to quickly and easily reach those mushrooms that are already ready for picking.

Faster and therefore easier access to mushrooms that are ready for picking means higher harvesting efficiency, and our calculations show that mushroom growing farms using modern trolleys are able to increase yields by up to 2 kg of mushrooms per m² of crop and reduce the employment rate by an average of 10% to 20% and more. 

Where to look for trolleys that will ensure maximum profitability of a mushroom growing farm?

The author of the above content is GROWTIME - a manufacturer of mushroom picking trolleys, which incorporate all the above-mentioned solutions and even some more. Here are the two most important products you should look over:

Mushroom picking trolley PASCAL - https://growtime.eu/en/produkt/pascal-picking-trolley/

Mushroom picking trolley NEWTON - https://growtime.eu/en/produkt/newton-picking-lorry/

The crisis teaches us to appreciate what seems to be taken for granted again and to reflect on a vital force:

TRUST
Without trust in ourselves and others, our actions would be blocked by constant safeguarding, doubting and weighing up. Fear would paralyze us. “We should fear nothing more than fear itself”. With these words Franklin D. Roosewelt sowed new confidence 90 years ago and proclaimed the "New Deal" in the USA.
The “New Green Deal” in Europe is now supposed to trigger a similar mood of optimism.

The growing importance of biological crop protection is a sign of this optimistic mood and, thanks to the mutual trust in our customers, has allowed our company to continue to grow. We were able to expand our production capacities, welcome new employees and initiate further construction projects.
We would like to thank the mushroom producers for the joint work on the transformation towards a sustainable, organic economy and wish you and your families a peaceful, reflective holiday.

Team e-nema
https://www.nemycel.com/

With this year’s reunions set to be extra special, December is a wonderful time for catching up with our loved ones, swapping gifts, and indulging in feasts together. Of course, with all the celebrations, Christmas isn’t always a good time for our health (or the scales)!

We know that by simply adding mushrooms to our Christmas stuffing, to chip and dip platters for entertaining, and including mushrooms in summer BBQ recipes is a great way to serve lighter, healthier and tastier meals this festive season - but there are also very specific reasons why mushrooms are a great health gift to give your loved ones this Christmas.

White Mushroom Cups – The gift of vitamin D.

The white mushroom cup is on the top of our Christmas tree, as it is Australia’s most popular festive mushroom - with good reason. Despite its small size, exciting new Australian research1 has uncovered that this little mushroom is full of B group vitamins (including B12), minerals, antioxidants, and gut health nutrients. The research also confirmed something very exciting - mushrooms are the only wholefood able to provide 100% of the daily recommended dose of vitamin D per serve.

Presenting as an active hormone called ergosterol, mushrooms can produce vitamin D in a similar process to our skin. When mushrooms are exposed to sunlight for just 15-minutes the ergosterol converts into a bioactive form of vitamin D, which we absorb when we eat the mushroom. Amazingly, once a mushroom has been ‘supercharged’ with vitamin D by being exposed to the sun, the new D levels remain in the mushroom for up-to a week if they are stored in the fridge.

Please read the full article here.
Source: AMGA / Australian Mushroom Growers´ Assoc.

At the end of a year or at the start of a new one it is always a good thing to look back and forward. Look at it as an evaluation and re-focussing of targets. It is also a good time to give yourself and your team a feedback.
Looking back to 2021 it was a year of great challenges. We had our normal variations in compost and casing soil quality. It still is impossible to predict the weather so we still will have to cope with changes in raw materials due to the weather. And reacting to that always comes too late.

Mushroom Team and products
Mertens supplies their products to professional agriculture, garden retail and landscaping.
All divisions have their specific sales and customer services teams which enable them to offer customized products and services. Furthermore customer loyalty and expertise are one of the strong pillars of Mertens. A dedicated Mushroom team is handling the mushroom sector in more than 41 countries. Mertens offers a complete package of products for growers and tunnel companies: biocontrol, films, cultivation, compost and sliding mats, fogging equipment, scales and hygiene products. They have a clear offline strategy with their experienced sales team and online with their extensive webshop. Thanks to their knowledge and expertise, they are able to advise their customers in the best possible way. Due to their large network and collaboration with partners, Mertens supports their customers in the whole process of mushroom growing.

Who are part of this successful team?

Rob Wilbers, Sales Manager Mushrooms
Rob’s career in the Mushroom Industry started already at a very young age as his parents owned a mushroom farm. He wanted to gain some more in depth experience and personal growth within a different company and started his individual route at Mertens in the early 80’s.
He started out as a warehouse worker and worked his way up the Mushroom Ladder. In 1986 he started to further develop the mushroom segment. He quickly saw the opportunities and the future of mushrooms abroad and travelled to various countries to further expand the business. Currently his focus is on the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, Hungary, Rumania and Croatia.
Rob celebrates his 40 year working anniversary next year, a great milestone and achievement!

Björn Beurskens, Account Manager Mushrooms
Björn was born and raised in Horst, the South of the Netherlands, and the centre of mushroom farming. He decided to study Hospitality Management and began his career as cook and host in various restaurants. After a few detours in other branches he started at Mertens 13 years ago, of which 7 years within the mushroom team. His working area covers the Netherlands, United Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy and all other countries outside Europe. His focus is giving mushroom cultivation advice, and we know for sure that you can call him anytime for a delicious (mushroom) recipe.    

Bobby Minten, Customer Service Employee
Mushrooms are a big part of the family history of Bobby Minten, as his grandparents owned a mushroom farm. In his teenage years he worked in horticulture and greenhouses. After high school he decided to get a bachelor degree in commercial economics. Bobby joined Mertens about 8 years ago and first worked in the warehouse for half a year and then joined the back office. During his time in the back office he grew in his role and after 4 years, in 2018, he got the opportunity to start in the Mushrooms customer service department.
His area of responsibility is handling and processing all incoming orders and export documentation for the mushroom segment worldwide. Furthermore he handles worldwide incoming requests from new customers for other segments within Mertens.

For more info and contact details click here!

Mushrooms that grow between the 1st and 2nd break are called tweeners or in between mushrooms. They are very hard mushrooms because they had a lot of water at the end of the breaks but will discolor fast, once picked, because of that water. They are, however, white inside and are therefore extremely suitable to use for slicing. Many farms worldwide are growing tweeners, only to use them for their sliced product. However, if you have a lot of tweeners it can have a negative effect on the quantity of pins in 2nd breaks. You need to control the amount of tweeners that grow out and spread them out nicely over the whole shelf. If some spots have many tweeners together the 2nd break will not be able to develop well, and yield will be lost. On some farms I see harvest managers making some extra yield with tweeners but not realizing enough that that extra yield gets lost in the 2nd breaks, where you normally pick you nicest quality mushrooms.

That doesn’t mean you can’t grow tweeners. Some farms use them to control the quantity of the pins in 2nd breaks. Just by leaving them nicely spread over the beds you can control the amount of 2nd break mushrooms. Clean the beds good after the 1st break, don’t pick for 2 days and on the 3rd, day manage it well controlling the in between break. If you see the 2nd break coming up spontaneously you can leave some more tweeners, if the 2nd break is struggling on some spots, you must open the in between break up and pick some more there. That need to be planned and managed good to get the best benefits out of the total production.

Erik de Groot
Global Agriculture Services
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

At the beginning of this year, EuroMycel welcomed a new sales manager to their team, Jeroen Dunant. He has a broad experience in sales within the green industry.

Jeroen is responsible for the North European market, The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany,
United Kingdom and Ireland. His main focus is to explore new markets and develop new opportunities for the mycelium products. In particular for the E58 premium mycelium for the fresh mushroom market and the E58 HD for the mechanized market. EuroMycel is a French company that produces mycelium situated in Touraine, home of the royal chateaux of France and cradle of the Champignon de Paris.

In 2010 EuroMycel was taken over by the Bonduelle Group, which enabled them to invest and develop new equipment and laboratories. EuroMycel is a strong player in the Bonduelle Group with a 2,7 miljard revenue last year. The director of the company, Frédéric Mathieu, reports directly to Bonduelles’ management and is therefore able to make quick decisions and direct the growth even more efficiently.

Jeroen works intensively with growers and compost companies. To sell the mycelium, but also invest in tests with the compost companies to improve the quality of compost in the growing companies.

If you have any questions for Jeroen, you can contact him via:

Jeroen Dunant
Sales Manager Northern Europe
Tel: (+31) 6 82183632
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.euromycel.com