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.

[NeoCaveman]

SHROOMS DOOMED TOO

A friend of mine lost his girlfriend to a mushroom. He asked her how she could dump him for a mushroom. She responded "he's more of a fungi"

[1rudeboy]

No worries, these were insourced jobs anyway. They don't count. [chuckle]

[Nataku X]

I am wondering that too. I think the main expense would be building a habitat, like underground tunnels, to grow them in the first place.

In any case, love 'em too, don't understand why so many people hate them!

[MyFreedomIHoldDear]

Some of the best shrooms I ever tasted were grown right outside of Houston, back in the 70's. Them were the days.

[Nataku X]

good grief--please say that those mushrooms were baked in, not grew in!

[Calusa]

I hope they didn't feed them a lot dog scat...

[Willie Green]

I don't expect one mushroom farm going out of business to cause much of an increase in pizza prices.

Although this is a local, Michigan article, it mentions two other farms in California and Indiana. It doesn't mention how many jobs were lost in those two states.

Most mushrooms are probably from China anyway.

I vaguely recall something about imported Chinese mushrooms, but I don't know how much of our market they've captured yet.

[bc boy]

nice..but not cow flop but msm dung that is spewed every bloody day....thats why they are called alphabet mushrooms

[hippy hate me]

This is an outrage. I think we should invade Canada.

[deport]

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

---

Yep the price increase in the raw materials for growing them just got to expensive due to the inefficiencies of the digestive tracts of those bovines and chickens....

[Miss Marple]

Willie, this is a CANADIAN firm. Their closing is not governed by anything the President can do. It has more to do with the market, Canadian business, and the state of the Canadian firm.

Probably it was beat out of the market by the lowered demand for mushrooms. Mushrooms are ingredients in Italian cuisine (pizza, pasta, etc.). There is less demand for those dishes because of the Atkins diet. Hence, less demand for mushrooms.

I don't think that mushroom prices will go up. I think that the lowering of mushroom prices, because of less demand, is why this CANADIAN company went out of business.

[wireman]

Kennett Square, PA (just southwest of Philadelphia) used to be the fungi capital of the world when I grew up in the area.

I don't know if it still is, but they produce a lot of 'shrooms there.

[SouthTexas]

LOL, 2-3 days after a rain. Never really noticed the "flavor" though.

[Hermann the Cherusker]

We are opening new Mushroom Farms in Cehster County, PA.

[Tacis]

Were these 200 folks members of a union?

It sort of surprises you, does it not, to see Owners from socialist Canukistan closing businesses just because of financial concern. Where is the social consciousness? Ther may be some Indians in that 200 or some 3rd worlder who sought political refuge; maybe some minority lesbos, who knows, any kind of special people. You don't expect this of money grubbing Canukistanis.

[small voice in the wilderness]

Hey! Where was your pasture? Ours was in the Lake Houston area, before houses were built atop the mushroom burial grounds. Early morning, sun glimmering on the special ones. Ah, I knew it was going to be a great day to NOT remember...

[Willie Green]

Mushrooms are a popular ingredient in other recipes besides Italian pastas.
And because they are on Atkin's list of approved "veggies", they'd be unaffected by the shift to an Atkins diet.
People will still eat 'em, only they'd fix 'em different.

[kitkat]

NOT MY MUSHROOMS! Oh, no, please God, don't take away my mushrooms. Now if it were brussel sprouts...GO CANADA! Destroy them all.

[Viking2002]

Agreed. I have a pack of mushroom spores around here somewhere - I was always planning to raise some of my own. I love mushrooms. We'll put portabella slices in a pan, and saute them in butter - have them as a main course. Try this - saute whole portabella caps in butter until they're just about done. Then flip them upside down and stuff them with a mix of crab meat, green pepper, onion, and mayonnaise (a little Old Bay seasoning is optional). Sprinkle them with bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Bake at 375 degrees until the tops are golden brown. *BURP* 'Scuze me. :-)