Being the Founder/Principal of the Practical Training College, my then boss, now husband Pieter, did take all of us in September of 1970 to the ONLY existing Mushroom Growing Marl Cave.
That was in the deep south of The Netherlands, in Maastricht the capital city of my Province Limburg.
Here we are inside the Marl Cave, of Mount Saint Peter, studying the mushrooms on those ridge beds ― on the floor!
Just imagine, what a toilfully labor it must have been for growing mushrooms inside a cave...
To the left, only her leg is visible, was a 2nd cousin, then 2nd from the left in the red lacquer coat its me... My sister Diny is standing with her face towards the ridge beds. Pieter is next to her and writing on the wall is my late 2nd cousin... Some other colleagues and the gentleman to the right in the back was our guide.
Writing on the wall was easy, as this limestone is rather soft!
This is also inside Mount Saint Peter, from an old post card that Pieter saved from long time ago.
Those ridge beds on the floor were covered with ground up marl.
Photo by Lahaye, from P. J.C. Vedder's Moderne Champignonteelt, his Dutch publication.
After WWII some people started growing mushrooms in caves in the southern part of The Netherland; a way of growing at that time already quite common in France...
Also in Mount Saint Peter from one of P.J.C. Vedder's publications...
But grateful for having seen this with my own eyes, so did my colleagues after we'd visited first the ENCI (Eerste Nederlandse Cement Industrie or First Dutch Cement Industry) from 1926.
An interesting video about ENCI: bedrijfsfilm 2016 (in Dutch but still good to see how it all gets done). In July of 2018 they stopped with further digging, they still produce cement but haul it from elsewhere.
Those ridge beds on the floor were covered with ground up marl.
After WWII some people started growing mushrooms in caves in the southern part of The Netherland; a way of growing at that time already quite common in France...
Hill beds in St. Peter's Mountain. The soil is not always flat and the dams to prevent the flow away of water sprayed, through the paths are extra needed. Cream mushrooms. (Photo "The South")
This photo is from the No. 4 - SEPTEMBER 1957 Champignon-cultuur, the Dutch mushroom magazine (click link for full Pdf from ISMS)
This photo is from the No. 4 - SEPTEMBER 1957 Champignon-cultuur, the Dutch mushroom magazine
Mr. Geijtenbeek studies the first tests with new culture technique inside the caves (Photo ENCI)
Fa. Gebr. Pluymackers, Maastricht
This is HISTORY now!But grateful for having seen this with my own eyes, so did my colleagues after we'd visited first the ENCI (Eerste Nederlandse Cement Industrie or First Dutch Cement Industry) from 1926.
An interesting video about ENCI: bedrijfsfilm 2016 (in Dutch but still good to see how it all gets done). In July of 2018 they stopped with further digging, they still produce cement but haul it from elsewhere.
Related links:
1978 - P.J.C. Vedder's Modern Mushroom Growing Book Published in English | previous post by me
{My Teacher, Mentor, BOSS & Husband over 44+ Years} | previous post by me
{Angels engraved on lucky calendar coin of 1969} | previous post by me
Hello Mariette, I envy you the fascinating experience of visiting these caves. I wonder what future archaeologists will think when they find these shaped mushroom beds in caves. They will probably think that aliens came and made the formations!
ReplyDelete--Jim
Dearest Jim,
DeleteYes, that was indeed fascinating to view in person.
Guess that archeologists will not find anything of that as they always emptied those ridge beds at the end of the growing cycle. The spent compost material has been, and still is being used for gardening or for producing potting soil. We miss our truckload of spent compost since the local mushroom farm is out of production. The best material for improving waterholding capacity.
Hugs,
Mariette
Dearest Mariette,
ReplyDeleteit always is really interesting to see, how different Mushrooms can be grown! Thank you! I have never seen them to be grown on the ground ....always in boxes ...
Wishing you and Pieter a good week!
Love and hugs, Claudia xo
Dearest Claudia,
DeleteThis is really history for the biggest part. They grow them in trays or in shelf beds nowadays and that improved the labor greatly.
Hugs,
Mariette
I always learn something new when I visit. I love mushrooms and made a tasty dish this week with chicken breasts, garlic, white wine and two types of mushrooms.
ReplyDeleteDearest Janey,
DeleteThe mushrooms grown in the caves were excellent quality, very firm. But for the labor conditions it is nearly extinct nowadays.
You mention a very tasty entrée indeed!
Hugs,
Mariette
Liebe Mariette,
ReplyDeleteWUNDERSCHÖN!
Sonnige Grüße
Elisabeth
Liebe Elisabeth,
DeleteJa, es war sicher wunderschön um das mal zu sehen!
Liebe Grüße,
Mariette
It's very interesting to see these photos of mushrooms grown inside the cave. You are really lucky to have visited there in person and seen this with your own eyes!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your precious experiences, Mariette.
Have a great day xo
Dearest Tamago,
DeleteIt is just a piece of history in mushroom growing and for the biggest part this is now obsolete. We sure enjoyed seeing this with our own eyes.
Hugs,
Mariette
Oh I didn't know this was how people grew mushrooms, so fascinating! it's great you got to see and experience all this in person!
ReplyDeleteHope you are having a great week :)
Away From Blue
Dearest Mica,
DeleteWell, this at least once used to be a very common way of mushroom growing.
Hugs,
Mariette
Dear Mariette these are such priceless photographs! It is an amazing experience that not all people can have experienced to be able to see how these mushrooms grow and are cultivated in the underground! Love it so much!
ReplyDeleteDearest Stevenson,
DeleteYes, this IS unique history and I was very fortunate for having seen it.
Hugs,
Mariette
technique to grow mushroom looks so advance....mushroom is one of my favorite foods....yummy.
ReplyDeleteHave a great day.
Dearest Tanza,
DeleteWell, this was the very old way of mushroom growing and since then it really has advanced into a science and is done in state of the art farms.
Hugs,
Mariette
Ik houd niet zo van grotten, maar als de mogelijkheid er is om zoiets te zien, zou ik toch wel meegaan. Het filmpje houd ik nog even tegoed (straks binnen heb ik een duidelijker beeldscherm).
ReplyDeleteFijne dag, lieve groet
Beste Willy,
DeleteJa, dit was zeker erg educatief om meegemaakt te hebben.
Het gevaar van grotten die instorten is ook mede de oorzaak dat dit is afgeschaft. Een eerdere post over de ramp van België ging daarover.
Zelf zijn we ook meer van buiten leven, frisse lucht en open ruimten!
Liefs,
Mariette
I love mushrooms, cooked or uncooked, and it's always so interesting to see your posts about them. I think I would have been claustrophobic in the caves, though!
ReplyDeleteDearest Kim,
DeleteYes, you are right about that! Husband Pieter often told me stories that they had to follow e.g. the water pipes and for the electricity. It went on for miles... that IS scary indeed! If one would run out of flash lights...
Hugs,
Mariette
How interesting!
ReplyDeleteDearest Anne,
DeleteYes, that was a very interesting excursion for all of us!
Hugs,
Mariette
Finally, I find the real mushroom expert... I'm So happy to meet you!
ReplyDeleteDearest Endah,
DeleteCan't believe that we actually lived in the same town for some three years, when you were very little... Such a small world! Glad we found each other here!
Hugs,
Mariette
I always have mushrooms here to eat. I like all types. I see information on growing them on a log and tempted to try it. Interesting post here. The beds in the caves for growing must have taken some time to construct.
ReplyDeleteDearest Betsy,
DeleteGood for you to like mushrooms, we had a mushroom risotto yesterday, fresh brown mushrooms from Costco with broad and short stem, I always check for that! There are also dried Porcini mushrooms in that risotto, for added flavor and it works well.
Yeah, can you imagine having to stoop down to the ground for building those ridge beds from compost, adding the ground marl and also picking them?! They had to empty them too and start all over... No one would be willing to go that 'low' nowadays!
Hugs,
Mariette
How interesting! I had no idea that mushrooms used to be grown like this !!!
ReplyDeleteThanks to both Pieter and you for showing us so many aspects of the cultivation of mushrooms!
Hugs!
Mrie-Anne
Dearest Marie-Anne,
DeleteYes, this sure was the way to grow the champignon de Paris, back then and in several countries. In France there still is a museum in the cave with actual mushroom growing for tourists to see and learn and afterwards getting a meal served in their restaurant. People also can buy them fresh. Look under my labels below blog: Marl Caves and you find that story too.
This experience I sure do treasure!
Hugs,
Mariette