Growing The Goods

Once the delight of only the gourmet, but now becoming a necessary ingredient and garnishing for the best in the culinary art is the mushroom.

Relying on nature's provision of this edible fungus does not produce enough of the commodity, with the result that a strain has been evolved especially for growing under controlled conditions.

Simon Dods uses the old Freezing Works buildings at Kaitaratahi to grow his crops, where concentrated effort and hard work produce mushrooms the year round.

The site of the mushroom farm.

When the compost is ready it is packed into these large trays which are stored inside

Stable manure, straw and gypsum are used to make the compost for growing the mushrooms

After tamping down, the mushroom spawn is laid on top of the compost, then covered with two inches of soil.

Ten to fourteen days later the mushrooms begin to appear, then go on cropping for approximately three months.

Simon Dods gathers some of the perfect specimens which are grown under temperature and humidity controlled conditions

The mushrooms as they appear in their stacked growing trays

Simon with a couple of hands full of the best

Mrs Elsie Atkins stalking and packing the crop which is sold as is or used for canning.

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The Gisborne Photo News

No 150 : December 7, 1966

Growing The Goods