GROWING GOURMET - Anto2ni.it

430 HARVESTING,
that yields from mini-culture experiments often
exceed average values from commercial
scale operations. I strongly encourage cultivators
to increase their production levels slowly,
and according to their skills in both mushroom
technology and business management.
A number of organizations help growers find
markets for their mushrooms. Some co-operative
marketing organizations coordinate
production and sales. Co-op marketing becomes
a necessity when multiple growers
overwhelm local markets. (Refer to the Resource
Guide, Appendix IV for a list of some
marketing organizations.) The United States
Department of Agriculture can sometimes assist
growers in contacting marketing outlets.
I am a strong believer in growing mushrooms
organically. Once certified organic, local
producers can sell mushrooms to natural food
co-ops and some up-scale grocery chains for a
premium. The restaurant trade, from my experience,
seems little impressed whether or not the
mushrooms are organically grown. In either
case, the key to the financial success of a mush-
STORING AND PACKING
room farm centers on its ability to market mushrooms
successfully. The person in charge of
marketing must foster a close, professional relationship
with the buyers.
In Asia, marketing gourmet mushrooms has
benefited from a long tradition while in North
America gourmet mushrooms are a relatively
new phenomenon, having been available for
less than twenty years. (See Fan, 1983.) With
more growers coming into production, the markets
are likely to fluctuate in response to the
sudden increase in the availability of mushrooms.
Cycles of over- and under-production
are typical in any new, expanding marketplace
and should be expected. Growers must adapt
their production schedules and product lines so
they do not become over-extended. As the public
becomes increasingly aware of the health
stimulating properties of mushrooms, markets
should expand enormously. Those growers who
are able to survive this early period of market
development will become key players in an industry
that is destined to become a centerpiece
of the new environmental economy.
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