A good start for a blog just around Spring time. But the meaning is different.
It just means: Keep It Super Simple.

On many farms I assist in the picking instruction and the complaint most often heard is that the pickers do not listen. This is not entirely true. They do listen but they do not store it. They are thinking of many things and the mushrooms is not one of them.
So it is up to the supervisor or trainer to make sure the information gets through. She (or he) first has to get to know the picker. Then decide what method can be used. The best supervisor changes her role according to the person she talks to. She can be a teacher, a mother or your worst nightmare if needed. Depending on the person and the situation. But she knows what is going on in the mind of the picker. For the picker money and nice work is important. But they have no notice of how mushrooms grow and how to pick more kilo’s per m². They want to pick fast because most of the time their bonus is related to pick rate. But often they do not realise that it is not about working fast but about working smart. And a good instruction can help with that.

How to do a thing like that in a practical situation?
Let’s say stems need to be longer.
First explain to a picker that a longer stem can give them up to 10% higher pick rate without working faster. Just look at the stem and do not cut it of completely. Then translate the 10% extra to a 10% higher salary. The farm by the way has a 10% higher production. If they understand that, the power is in repeating. Not just in spoken word but also in visual signs. Make a project of this. For one complete week only instruct on stem length in the rooms and do this on individual level. So no shouting through the room but address every picker personally. The next part is a good photo which is shown for a week on all possible places. In the canteen, on the tables, in the corridor and even in the toilets. Just for a week because after a week they do not see the photo anymore. The next week another subject is chosen.
And for the supervisor: the power is in repeating. Tell them once, twice and keep going on. If the pickers see you, they immediately think of stem length. This way it is imprinted in their way of thinking and it is much easier to have success.

So Keep It Super Simple and act like a parrot.

The global mushroom cultivation market will grow enormously in the coming years. This is evident from the report of QYResourch. They have mapped the market analysis and insights for the global mushroom cultivation market for a period up to 2027. That is a good prospect for the growers of white mushrooms, oysters and shiitake. But growers of other mushrooms will also benefit from this. The analysis focuses on sales, revenue and forecast. The research process involves the study of various factors affecting the industry, including government, policy, market environment, historical data, current trends, technological innovation, risks, opportunities, barriers and challenges. The market estimates in this report are based on the market price of mushroom cultivation. Figures have also been identified through primary and secondary research at mushroom companies. Primary research included interviews with key opinion leaders or industry experts as well as with directors and marketing executives, while secondary research consisted of examining annual and financial reports. All possible factors influencing the markets included in this study have been taken into account, such as inflation, economic downturn and changes in regulations and policies or other factors. But if we can start from these predictions, growers worldwide have a bright future.

To request the full report, please click here.

Source: QYresearch

TenCate Industrial Fabrics is a commercial division of TenCate Geosynthetics and supplies products and solutions for agricultural, recreational and specialty markets. Products are sold under the brands TenCate Toptex, TenCate Nicolon and TenCate Permatron.

TenCate Geosynthetics has a global production platform, commercial and technical organization and has successfully consolidated and developed core markets to maximize value for customers. TenCate Geosynthetics serves the market globally with two commercial divisions - TenCate Geosynthetics and TenCate Industrial Fabrics.

Through the processing of synthetic raw materials, TenCate develops, manufactures, and provides innovative and reliable industrial technical textiles that enhance the performance of our customers’ products.
For more than 30 years TenCate produces and supplies growing nets and compost pulling nets for the mushroom market. TenCate Nicolon nets have become the industry standard by its proven performance and reliability. Flexibility and quality is the core of doing business according to Maarten Bos, Market Manager of TenCate Industrial Fabrics.

TenCate Mushroom farming applications are:
- Growing & casing nets
- Tunnel & Glide nets
- Growing house covers
- Composting covers
- Straw covers
- Storage & construction liners
- Hygiene mats

They recently gave their website an update, please click here to view their website and products!

AgroLingua translation agency and Roodbont agricultural publishers have entered into a strategic partnership. This cooperation aims to better serve the international agribusiness and food markets by providing high-quality knowledge products and further strengthen the positions of both companies.

Roodbont Publishers specialises in the production of practical, agricultural knowledge content in the form of printed and e-books, e-learning and training in more than 50 countries. AgroLingua specialises in translating content for companies active in the international agrifood market into more than 150 language combinations.

“Roodbont and AgroLingua share many similarities. We are both companies that contribute highly specific expertise to the international agrifood business," says Jos van Kleef of AgroLingua. “Roodbont does this as a publisher of knowledge content and AgroLingua through its language and translation skills. Roodbont has unique, comprehensive agricultural knowledge and we would like to share that in our extensive B2B network.”

“We have used AgroLingua's professionalism as a translation agency to translate our knowledge products for a long time," says Janneke Janssens of Roodbont Publishers. “The translation expertise at AgroLingua and its wide network can open up new markets for our knowledge products. High quality translations, ISO 9001 and ISO 17100 certified, and in-depth knowledge of the subject matter and sector-specific terminology."

In the next few years, both companies will cooperate on expanding the international market for high-quality agricultural knowledge content, with a focus on e-learning channels.

www.agrolingua.com www.roodbont.com

For the original press release, click here!

Today, consumers are beginning to use one more guideline to determine how to spend their food dollars – sustainability. The public is increasingly curious about where and how their food is produced and what impact it has on the environment; and for good reason, the world’s population is rapidly expanding, and it’s estimated there will be over 9 billion people on the planet by 2050.

A mushroom sustainability study reveals the mighty mushroom not only is healthy on the plate, it’s also gentle on the planet.

The study finds production of a pound of mushrooms requires only 1.8 gallons of water and 1.0 kilowatt hours of energy, and generates only .7 pounds of CO2 equivalent emissions. In addition, the annual average yield of mushrooms is 7.1 pounds per square foot – meaning up to 1 million pounds of mushrooms can be produced on just one acre.
Even though this research is from 2017, it becomes even more relevant in the coming years.

Please click here for the full article and research material.

Spring is back in the country and that is the start of the morel season. A good knife and a sharp eye are all it takes to harvest delicious morels.

The morels are mushrooms that grow in the spring. Morels have a spongy, pointed hat that is reminiscent of a honeycomb. Raw morels are poisonous and only edible after heating. The taste of the morels is spicy. Morels are full of fiber and minerals and are therefore also good for your health.

If you plan to do your own research, read carefully so that you don't pick a poisonous species. When collecting morels use a flat box, basket or net bag. Don't use plastic bags as the morels will start to spoil before you bring them home. Another reason is that the spores must be able to fall back to the ground so that new morels will grow again next year. Morels are often found around dead and dying trees. Think of oak, ash and elm. But an old apple orchard is also a good hunting ground.

There are many ways to cook morels, but baking them in butter brings out their rich, almost meaty flavor. You can make it a real springtime celebration by serving them with asparagus during this time of year.