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Saturday, February 16, 2019

Husband Pieter met with Darlington Spawn Makers and Fred Atkins in England

Yes, husband Pieter was very, very fond of the U.K. and loved going there!
On October 3 of 1958, Pieter visited the Darlington Spawn Makers in England
For those of you that have no clue how mushrooms are being grown, this is a MUST see short 4 min. video about how they take the spores from a disinfected, mature mushroom and inoculate on some agar to incubate and next let it overgrow on rye grain.
This one mushroom contains millions of spores!
Just click Growing And Eating Aka Mushrooms 1966 and enjoy.
Pieter met with Fred C. Atkins, the very first Sinden Award Winner and also an author, like my husband Pieter.
Mushroom growing houses at the Noble-Atkins mushroom farm near Peterborough in the U.K., on October 4, 1958.
Growers Ben Noble and Fred Atkins

Fred Atkin's book MUSHROOM GROWING TO-DAY from MCMLVI (1956) is in Pieter's library.
Fred C. Atkins also was the Editor of THE MUSHROOM JOURNAL Official Publication of the Mushroom Grower's Association of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Via link below this post you can find a letter that Fred wrote to Pieter after receiving his publication of Modern Mushroom Growing.


Related links:
1978 - P.J.C. Vedder's Modern Mushroom Growing Book Published in English | previous post by me where Fred Atkins' letter is shown.
SO Happy for Having Met Another WRITING Mushroom Wife in the U.K. | previous post by me
Husband Pieter's Fond Relationship with Mushroom Growers in  the U.K. | previous post about Pieter's very first visit to a Mushroom Farm in England

24 comments:

  1. Mariette, I'm learnig a bit about mushroom growing from stopping here. Pieter is a scientist! Love the 60s photograph!

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    1. Dearest Debbie,
      Glad to read this as it was my purposely intention for educating my readers just a tad more about the science of mushroom growing.
      Yes, my Pieter surely is a scientist and with all his heart. He loved his job and was very sharp in picking up new trends from researchers and implementing that into practical growing techniques and educating thousands!
      It is funny to go back into history, although a lot of the old fashion keeps rotating and I've noticed once again lots of double breasted coats, blazers and such. Definitely something from that era too.
      Hugs and hope you can stay cozy and warm during your interim at the hotel, being away from your nearly burned home.
      Mariette

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  2. Liebe Mariette,
    dein schöner Post erfreut mein Herz.
    Alles Liebe
    Elisabeth

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    Replies
    1. Liebe Elisabeth,
      Danke und leider kann ich keine Sonne rüber schicken zu dir!
      Liebe Grüße,
      Mariette

      Delete
  3. Dearest Mariette; I eat some kinds of mushroom everyday putting then varieties of dishes. Thank you very much for the information.
    Lots of Love from Japan, Miyako*

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    1. Dearest Miyako,
      Oh, on your blog I've often read about your delicious mushrooms and better ones than the white button mushroom or Agaricus Bisporus!
      As children at school we had to make a spore print from some wild mushrooms we found in the woods. Placing them on a sheet of white paper under a glass jar, would perform the miracle. Little did I know then that later in life I would get deeply involved in mushroom cultivation...
      Hugs,
      Mariette

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  4. Hello Mariette, Yes, mushroom growing is a delicate operation, as the film shows with its surgical-room techniques. I notice that their spawn bottles look a lot like milkbottles, and like that picture of the milkbottle-shaped spawn bottle I once sent you.
    --Jim

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    1. Dearest Jim,
      It is a very delicate operation and the risk of infection has wiped out many growers world wide. There are so many competitor molds that love to grow on the substrate but we only like to have ONE!
      They were actually yogurt bottles with a wider neck for removing the overgrown grain later on. Nowadays of course it is all plastic. But this movie is from 1966 and way before the plastic/carton era.
      Pieter just mentions that for quite a while their was a frantic search by spawn laboratories for 'enough' wide necked yogurt bottles! As the demand for spawn grew, the need for looking into other carriers was a must.
      When we started working and living in Indonesia in early 1990, we again were confronted with the use of such bottles. But even there, it vanished over time.
      There will be a lot more interesting things coming up as I continue writing Pieter's history and memoirs.
      Very pleased for having still material to tell these stories as processes have advanced so rapidly!
      Hugs,
      Mariette

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  5. Replies
    1. Dearest Anne,
      Thank you and it really IS an interesting job.
      Most people, when buying fresh mushrooms at the store, have no clue how they came to be.
      Glad to be able to share this with my readers.
      Hugs.
      Mariette

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  6. Replies
    1. Dearest Jo-Anne,
      Thank you and glad you found it interesting to see how the very beginning for growing these bloody mushies is coming about!
      Hugs,
      Mariette

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  7. Dearest Meriette,
    I live of your Mushroom Few years of long time ago! Have a great week aheat and stay healthy have a great week ahead stay healthy warm and safe!
    Michiko

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    1. Dearest Michiko san,
      It was through mushrooms that we came to work in the Melbourne area and also in the Sydney area.
      Not knowing then that one day we would meet via blogger...
      But nevertheless, we are equally close and wishing you all the very best!
      Hugs,
      Mariette

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  8. Ciao Mariette
    Non ne capisco niente di funghi,non mi piacciono molto e sinceramente ho anche un po' paura...li uso solo quando faccio il risotto con i funghi :)
    Ti auguro una buona serata
    baci
    Letizia

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    1. Carissima Letizia,
      Questo è un atteggiamento perfetto per avere paura di mangiare quelli selvaggi. Però quelli coltivati sono assolutamente sicuro. Ma come ti, avendo lavorato per decenni in funghi, io soprattutto amo i porcini e quelli che uso per il mio risotto pure...
      Abbracci
      Mariette

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  9. Replies
    1. Dearest Katie Isabella,
      Oh my goodness, how special a coincidence that is!
      Hope it made you smile...
      Hugs,
      Mariette

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  10. I never thought about spores one mushroom contains! Thank you for your interesting post, Mariette!

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    1. Dearest Tamago,
      Yes, each mushroom contains millions of spores and in the wild, they get spread by the wind, by insects and animals. In mushroom farms it can be very dangerous for transmitting diseases by having open mushrooms. That's why hygiene is almost like that in a hospital for keeping the infection pressure low at all times!
      Complicated and high tech business... Interesting too!
      Hugs,
      Mariette

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  11. It must be quite difficult to grow mushroom successfully. I have no idea how much water and sunshine they need.

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    1. Dearest RTC.,
      It indeed is rather tricky for mimicking Mother Nature and creating the Fall Environment. They need therefore lots of water but these mushrooms have no Chlorophyll, so they cannot transform energy from the sun.
      The biggest issue is the risk of infection by a specific virus and competitor molds.
      Hugs,
      Mariette

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  12. I love the 60s photo photo.Mariette.
    I feel like watching an old movie scene.
    1960 ~~66. I was a junior highschool student!
    Pieter was dedicated to promoto growing mashuroom as a scientist for such a long time!

    Have a lovely day,Mariette abd Pieter.

    I went through your former posts and I am here now.
    While using my PC 2 weeks ago, my PC suddenly broke down typing hhhh repeatedly,making strange sound.
    A PC specialist removed my disk from the broken PC. I was relieved that my husband was able to transfer the data including photos into my new computer.

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    1. Dearest Tomoko,
      Yes it does bring back memories from long ago for us! Clothes and hats from that era...
      Indeed, husband Pieter got involved in the 50s and that is along time already.
      He has been a pioneer in making growing understandable for many.
      Having the unique ability to translate science into understandable language in his class room and for growers during his seminars. At those days he did travel to different areas and gather in a café for his teachings. After the break it often was hard to get full attention as they went to the bar...
      Then the government made him Principal of the 1st and only Training Centre in the world on January 1, 1966 and in 1969 his new Training Centre with practical growing area was officially opened.

      Oh my, you had the very same happening to you as what I had in 2015. A technician at a local computer store was able to save all of my files. That was a scary weekend for not knowing yet if I lost it all. So glad he rescued it and we donated all my PC items to him for use or whatever. I've since then invested in all Apple and love it so far. My iMac, MacBook, iPad and iPhones for both of us. Only Pieter still uses a Samsung for his Nook books, as he is an avid reader.
      Hugs,
      Mariette

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Thanks for your visit and comment.

Mariette...