In this episode, Meghann Thai and Umberto Calvo reflect on their recent trip to Pennsylvania, where they attended the Penn State University Mushroom Short Course, visited the Mushroom Research Centre, and toured ten local mushroom farms.

They share insights into how the US are approaching innovation, sustainability, and research, and how these practices compare to the Australian industry.

From composting techniques to casing materials, peat use, and local regulations, Meghann and Umberto unpack what they observed across a wide range of farming systems. They also explore how variations in infrastructure can influence production challenges, including the local fly issues.

Throughout the discussion, they discuss where Australia is leading the way, where there’s room to learn, and how international collaboration could pave the way for future breakthroughs.

Podcast hosted by Jenny Ekman, AHR.

Umberto Calvo from AHR works across a variety of R&D projects in multiple horticultural industries in Australia, from avocados to vegetables. He is the manager of the Marsh Lawson Mushroom Research Unit, in Sydney. Umberto was in the US to attend the Mushroom Short Course at Penn State University and visit local farms to better understand their growing techniques, as well as their composting and casing materials.

Meghann Thai is a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Microbiology at The University of Sydney. Her current research focuses on the microbial dynamics in casing soil and aims to develop a sustainable alternative material for use in casing soil for button mushroom production. Meghann was invited by Professor Michael Wolfin to speak at the Penn State University Mushroom Short Course. Together with her colleague Umberto, she also visited several local farms to gain insight into US practices.

This podcast is part of the Hort Innovation funded project MU21003: Mushroom industry communications programme. It was funded through the Mushroom levy fund and contributions from the Australian Government.

Link to the website: https://www.mushroomlink.com.au/

The music for this podcast is "Mushroom Boy" by Qurtis, it is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/?ref=openverse

In this podcast we follow Umberto Calvo on his trip to the US where he visits Sher-Rockee Mushroom Farms in Pennsylvania to speak with mushroom grower James Ciarrocchi. Their conversation dives into the important intersection of science, sustainability, and innovation, drawing comparisons between US and Australian mushroom farming practices.

James shares positive insights into how the farm is tackling fly control through collaboration with Penn State University, under the guidance of Professor Michael Wolfin. Together, they are trialling the use of Vestergaard nets, an insecticide-infused, innovative material originally developed for malaria prevention in Africa. This breakthrough research takes a closer look at how netted growing rooms perform against traditional controlled environments, aiming to uncover a new way to improve pest control.

The discussion turns to casing materials and how geography, available resources, and tradition can shape mushroom cultivation. James also touches on how the farm are prioritising quality in order to compete with imported product, and the importance of bringing the mushroom story to life through community events and social media. Because it’s more than just farming, it’s about connecting people to the incredible versatility and benefits of mushrooms.

Podcast hosted by Umberto Calvo, AHR.

Umberto Calvo from AHR works across a variety of R&D projects in multiple horticultural industries in Australia, from avocados to vegetables. He is the manager of the Marsh Lawson Mushroom Research Unit, in Sydney. Umberto was in the US to attend the Mushroom Short Course at Penn State University and visit local farms to better understand their growing techniques, as well as their composting and casing materials.

This podcast is part of the Hort Innovation funded project MU21003: Mushroom industry communications programme. It was funded through the Mushroom levy fund and contributions from the Australian Government.

Link to the website: https://www.mushroomlink.com.au/

The music for this podcast is "Mushroom Boy" by Qurtis, it is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/?ref=openverse

In this MushroomLink podcast, Stuart discusses the strategic use of drip irrigation with AHR’s own mushroom grower Umberto Calvo. Umberto has conducted trials with a similar system at the March Lawson Mushroom Research Unit. With the potential to improve later flushes and even create nutritionally enhanced mushrooms, our panel discuss the mixed challenges and solutions offered by drip irrigation for mushrooms.

Podcast hosted by Dr Jenny Ekman, AHR.

Stuart Whitehall from Nutrigain has been working with mushrooms almost his entire life. Growing up on a family farm, he earned his pocket money selling spent compost from the tender age of 9. Over several decades in the industry he has both witnessed and driven a host of innovations, from spawn production and trading to biological pest control with nematodes. Stuart has now diversified into nutritional supplements, including the delivery of liquid solutions through drip irrigation systems.

Umberto Calvo from AHR graduated in 2018 from the Università di Torino in Italy, and recently came to Australia to explore agricultural sciences in a completely different environment. With experience in Precision Viticulture in Spanish wine regions he is interested in precision and data-driven agriculture, remote sensing and horticulture crops. He is currently involved in a wide variety of projects from post-harvest avocado quality to mushroom growing techniques.

This podcast is part of the Hort Innovation funded project MU21003: Mushroom industry communications programme. It was funded through the Mushroom levy fund and contributions from the Australian Government.

Link to the website: https://www.mushroomlink.com.au/

The music for this podcast is "Mushroom Boy" by Qurtis, it is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/?ref=openverse

Aimee is a research scientist for Agriculture Victoria in the Microbial Sciences, Pests, and Diseases (MSPD) group. With expertise in microbial-based biopesticides (biorationals) for use in integrated pest and disease management (IPDM), Aimee’s research focuses on understanding how microbial agents work to control insect pests and pathogens when applied to growing systems, with the broader aim to determine synergistic management practices, and to optimise the delivery of biological control agents. Since 2022, Aimee has been reviewing and evaluating prospective biopesticide agents and formulations for their efficacy to control key pests and diseases of commercial mushrooms in Australia, with a focus on mushroom flies and the pathogens that they may vector.

This podcast is part of the Hort Innovation funded project MU21003: Mushroom industry communications programme. It was funded through the Mushroom levy fund and contributions from the Australian Government.

Link to the website: https://www.mushroomlink.com.au/

The music for this podcast is "Mushroom Boy" by Qurtis, it is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/?ref=openverse

In this podcast recorded at the 2024 ISMS congress, Dr Jenny Ekman chats to Eoin O'Connor, post-doctoral scholar at Penn State University, about his studies in Ireland, where he was inspired and mentored by Dr. David Fitzpatrick and Dr Helen Grogan, the latter of whom opened his world to mushroom science, and particularly virus X, and his current research in the Hockett lab.

This podcast is part of the Hort Innovation funded project MU21003: Mushroom industry communications programme. It was funded through the Mushroom levy fund and contributions from the Australian Government.

Link to the website: https://www.mushroomlink.com.au/

The music for this podcast is "Mushroom Boy" by Qurtis, it is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/?ref=openverse

In this podcast Dr Jenny Ekman chats to Dr Mark Loftus from Sylvan Spawn company.

Mark’s career commenced in Manchester, UK, where he obtained a PhD and then completed a two-year post doc in human genetics.

So how did Mark go from human to mushroom geneticist? What is mushroom genetics anyway, and how can understanding mushroom genetics help strengthen the industry?

In this fascinating discussion, Mark explains the very hard work behind identifying mushroom markers, isolating genetically distinct strains (no kissing cousins here!) and the characteristics they are looking for in white and brown mushrooms.

This podcast is part of the Hort Innovation funded project MU21003: Mushroom industry communications programme. It was funded through the Mushroom levy fund and contributions from the Australian Government.

Link to the website: https://www.mushroomlink.com.au/

The music for this podcast is "Mushroom Boy" by Qurtis, it is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/?ref=openverse

Dr Jenny Ekman reads the article: Phorid ecology and management, from the 5th issue (winter 2023) of the MushroomLink magazine.

Click here to read the article

Click here to read the entire 5th issue.

This podcast is part of the Hort Innovation funded project MU21003: Mushroom industry communications programme. It was funded through the Mushroom levy fund and contributions from the Australian Government.

Link to the website: https://www.mushroomlink.com.au/

The music for this podcast is "Mushroom Boy" by Qurtis, it is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/?ref=openverse

Dr Jenny Ekman reads the storing chemicals safely article from the 3rd Issue (Summer 2022) of the MushroomLink magazine.

Read the article here

Read the entire 3rd Issue here

This podcast is part of the Hort Innovation funded project MU21003: Mushroom industry communications programme. It was funded through the Mushroom levy fund and contributions from the Australian Government.

Link to the website: https://www.mushroomlink.com.au/

The music for this podcast is "Mushroom Boy" by Qurtis, it is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/?ref=openverse