Mushroom farm closing will cost 200 jobs

The Grand Rapids Press ^ | Saturday, November 13, 2004 | Shandra Martinez

[Willie Green]

GANGES TOWNSHIP -- Saying its U.S. mushroom business has been a cash drain, a Canadian company will close its three stateside operations, including a mushroom farm and processing plant near Fennville.

More than 200 people will be out of work after Christmas when the Money's Foods mushroom plant in Ganges Township closes its doors.

It produced fresh mushrooms for supermarkets and processed for companies that make soups and sauces.

"We feel badly about this because the people have worked very hard trying to make this successful. We've run out of cash and can't keep on supporting it," said Keith Potter, chief executive officer of the Toronto-based company.

The other closing plants are in Howe, Ind., and Pescadero, Calif.

[Willie Green]

ping

[NeoCaveman]

WE ARE DOOMED!

[TexasTransplant]

SHROOMS DOOMED TOO

[MisterRepublican]

The soup lines just keep getting longer. Brother, can you spare a dime?

[Paleo Conservative]

At least they aren't keeping their employees in the dark about the layoffs.

[tet68]

Fungi failure forments fears.

Mycelial mismanagement, misses money.

Where are the unwanted pinheads to go?

[Willie Green]

When mushroom farmers go out of business, fewer mushrooms are produced and the price of pizza toppings will increase.

[Viking2002]

I wonder what ran it into the ground? I doubt that it cost a boatload of money to raise mushrooms, nor were the employees getting paid $20 an hour to do it. Given that they cost about $3 a pound retail here in Alabama, I can't envision a marketwide mushroom glut. Oh well, as long as there's still some to saute with some sweet onions to top my sirloin with........WOO-HOO! *SLURP*

[tet68]

You must have been to a DEAD concert.

The shroom lines just keep getting longer. Brother, can you spare a dime bag?

[snarkytart]

ok..I thought mushroom farms were illegal..
;o)

[maggief]

A friend tried to expand into the mushroom business. Pretty much wiped him out.

[SouthTexas]

It's OK, they grow in the pasture.

[MisterRepublican]

I don't expect one mushroom farm going out of business to cause much of an increase in pizza prices. Most mushrooms are probably from China anyway.

[mconners]

I wonder if the workers knew... or they were kept in the dark and..

[muleskinner]

There's nothin' like a nice pile of sauteed cow flop fungus.

[CTGOPPER]

As soon as I saw the topic, I knew there would be a joke here somewhere. I wasn't disappointed.

[Fiddlstix]

BTTT

[StoneFury]

Well then I could have my elderly neighbor cook you up some of this:

[farmfriend]

Rights, farms, environment ping.
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