We found out everything we wanted to know about growing mushrooms during our visit to Parkvale Mushrooms today. This company supplies the Wellington and Auckland markets, and is a seven day a week operation. It is a family business, owned and run by Clive Thompson for over 35 years.
Parkvale Mushrooms
Our caravan club members were given a tour through the factory. The mushrooms are grown in naturally fermented compost, which generates its own heat. Mushroom spawn is mixed through the compost, then peat is added, wet and mixed through to ensure an even crop, and the boxes transferred to the growing room.
Mushrooms in the growing room
Four flushes are picked over six weeks. Air is circulated around, and water is misted over the mushroom crop. The mushrooms are picked daily into three categories, buttons, cups and flats. All the staff we spoke to seem very happy workers indeed, and we were told several times that Mr Thompson was a very good boss. Some of the staff had been employed, 10, 15, and even 20 years, so that certainly confirmed that the workers were happy. Experienced pickers can work very fast and get paid by the number of boxes picked each day, in quite difficult conditions, we noted.
Mushroom picking
“ Mad Max” is the name of the machine designed and built by the owner. It does the first early stages of preparation, adding the mushroom spores to large boxes of compost, mixed through, then the boxes are stacked three high and carried by forklift into the factory to grow in controlled conditions.
“Mad Max”, the custom designed machine
After our factory tour, most of us purchased a big bag of mushrooms to take back to our caravans and cook up for lunch. We enjoyed our tasty oven baked flats, topped with onion, cheese and bacon, just delicious. They are just as nice cooked this way on top of a BBQ in summer, believe us.
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