Upcoming events.
The Safe Mushroom standard - basic food safety for non-certified farms
Date: Wednesday 25 September 2024
Time: 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Location: Delivered online via zoom
Registration: Click here to register
In this webinar, Jenny and Melissa will deliver a step by step guide to the Safe Mushroom standard.
About the presenters
Dr Jenny Ekman
Dr Ekman is a postharvest physiologist and communicator who works to maximise produce freshness and value while minimising supply chain losses. She is passionate about applying science to improve commercial and consumer outcomes.
Dr Ekman has more than 20 years’ horticultural research experience in Australia, USA and the Philippines. She has led research projects on food safety, fruit-fly management, broccoli, chestnuts and vegetables, and is developing a definitive postharvest manual and app for the Australian vegetable industry. She has worked extensively in fruit physiology, completing projects funded by HAL, RIRDC and ACIAR.
Dr Ekman has excellent writing and communication skills and is an effective translator of scientific language into information readily understood and used by growers.
Melisa Cavallaro
Melisa Cavallaro is a certified HACCP Practitioner with over 15 years’ experience in food safety consulting, specialising in fresh produce. She is passionate about safe guarding the Australian agricultural industry and is dedicated to bridging the gap between GFSI certifications and small family-operated farms.
AMGA Mushroom Growers Conference
Registrations are now open for the Australian and New Zealand Mushroom Growers Conference.
This year marks the 45th AMGA Conference, and the AMGA are excited to announce their partnership with the New Zealand Commercial Mushroom Growers Federation and Meadow Mushrooms, to host the event in Auckland, New Zealand.
More information here
Navigating Food Safety Certification Challenges
Date: Wednesday 11 September 2024
Time: 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Location: Delivered online via zoom
Registration: Click here to register
Join the MushroomLink team for the first webinar of Food Safety Month, part of the Hort Innovation funded, AMGA managed project, MU20000 – Extension and Adoption of Food Safety, Quality and Risk Management.
This webinar looks at the challenges of Food Safety Certification and how to navigate them.
About the presenters
Dr Jenny Ekman
Dr Ekman is a postharvest physiologist and communicator who works to maximise produce freshness and value while minimising supply chain losses. She is passionate about applying science to improve commercial and consumer outcomes.
Dr Ekman has more than 20 years’ horticultural research experience in Australia, USA and the Philippines. She has led research projects on food safety, fruit-fly management, broccoli, chestnuts and vegetables, and is developing a definitive postharvest manual and app for the Australian vegetable industry. She has worked extensively in fruit physiology, completing projects funded by HAL, RIRDC and ACIAR.
Dr Ekman has excellent writing and communication skills and is an effective translator of scientific language into information readily understood and used by growers.
Melisa Cavallaro
Melisa Cavallaro is a certified HACCP Practitioner with over 15 years’ experience in food safety consulting, specialising in fresh produce. She is passionate about safe guarding the Australian agricultural industry and is dedicated to bridging the gap between GFSI certifications and small family-operated farms.
Presenting the Postharvest Best Practice Guide
Date: Wednesday 3 July 2024
Time: 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Location: Delivered online via zoom
Registration: Click here to register
Join the MushroomLink team for the second webinar in a two part series about supply chain best management. The team will speak with Dr Jenny Ekman from the MU22011 Mushroom supply chain best management project. This webinar will cover the new postharvest best practice guide.
Australian mushroom industry can request a printed guide. Click here and fill out the request form to receive a copy of the guide. More than one copy can be requested.
About the presenter
Dr Jenny Ekman
Dr Ekman is a postharvest physiologist and communicator who works to maximise produce freshness and value while minimising supply chain losses. She is passionate about applying science to improve commercial and consumer outcomes.
Dr Ekman has more than 20 years’ horticultural research experience in Australia, USA and the Philippines. She has led research projects on food safety, fruit-fly management, broccoli, chestnuts and vegetables, and is developing a definitive postharvest manual and app for the Australian vegetable industry. She has worked extensively in fruit physiology, completing projects funded by HAL, RIRDC and ACIAR.
Dr Ekman has excellent writing and communication skills and is an effective translator of scientific language into information readily understood and used by growers.
Results from the Mushroom Supply Chain studies
Click here to view the recording
Date: Wednesday 19 June 2024
Time: 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Location: Delivered online via zoom
Registration: Click here to register
Even the best marketing won’t help mushrooms that have travelled poorly; bad looking mushrooms just won't sell.
But why do mushrooms, that leave the farm crisp and white, arrive on retail shelves looking bruised and sad? What is going on between farm and supermarket? Why do mushrooms age while on the road and how can we prevent it?
Join Dr Jenny Ekman and team as they present some fascinating data on the Australian supply chain, delve into the critical factors affecting mushroom quality from farm to supermarket, and highlight some actionable insights to ensure your mushrooms maintain their freshness and appeal throughout the supply chain.
Part 2 of the series will be presented on Wednesday 3 July where the postharvest best practice guide will be presented. Click here to find out more.
About the presenter
Dr Jenny Ekman
Dr Ekman is a postharvest physiologist and communicator who works to maximise produce freshness and value while minimising supply chain losses. She is passionate about applying science to improve commercial and consumer outcomes.
Dr Ekman has more than 20 years’ horticultural research experience in Australia, USA and the Philippines. She has led research projects on food safety, fruit-fly management, broccoli, chestnuts and vegetables, and is developing a definitive postharvest manual and app for the Australian vegetable industry. She has worked extensively in fruit physiology, completing projects funded by HAL, RIRDC and ACIAR.
Dr Ekman has excellent writing and communication skills and is an effective translator of scientific language into information readily understood and used by growers.
Australian Mushrooms FY25 Marketing Strategy
Date: Thursday 22 February 2024
Time: 12:00 - 1:00 pm AEDT
Location: Delivered online via Zoom
Registration: Click here to register
Monique Emmi, Marketing Manager at Hort Innovation, will present the key facts that informed the FY25 marketing strategy and the pillars that will be the focus of the up-coming marketing plan.
Monique Emmi, Marketing Manager at Hort Innovation
Presenter
Monique Emmi is a passionate foodie, marketing specialist and judge for the Royal Agricultural Society.
With a Bachelor of Creative Arts & Business from Macquarie University, and a raft of experience in hospitality industry, Monique has worked across both consumer and foodservice marketing programs throughout her career.
She is dedicated to working with primary and artisan producers to build long-term growth plans and activate creative and effective campaigns.
Monique was the Marketing Manager for the Mushroom industry from 2015 to 2018 and returned to the industry last year to assist them with a new marketing strategy based on current research and data.
She says her favourite way to eat mushrooms is in a traditional Spaghetti boscaiola.
Other Links
Want to learn more about Australian Mushroom marketing? Click here to view the marketing contracted projects and to view the 5-year marketing forecast from July 1, 2023 click here
Marketing webinar: Cost of living, consumer behaviour and the implications for the mushroom category
Date: Thursday 7 December 2023
Time: 12:00 - 1:00 pm (AEDT)
Location: Online via Zoom
Registration: Click here to register
Join the MushroomLink team as they speak with Hort Innovation's Consumer Insights Manager Wendy Hubbard on cost of living, mushroom category performance, consumer behaviour and the implications for the mushroom industry.
Presenter
Wendy Hubbard
Consumer Insights Manager - Hort Innovation
Wendy is a seasoned insights professional with over two decades of experience in the consumer insights industry. Her expertise lies in identifying opportunities and challenges using multiple data sets and transforming these insights into compelling narratives that drive business growth.
She is currently the Insights Manager at Hort Innovation, where she manages consumer insights initiatives for the Australian horticulture industry.
Webinar: Investigating non-synthetic ‘biorationals’ for pest and disease control in mushroom production
Date: Thursday 9th November 2023
Time: 12:00 - 1:00 pm AEDT
Location: Online Via Zoom
Registration: Click here to register
Dr Aimee McKinnon (Agriculture Victoria) is a research scientist investigating non-synthetic alternatives to complement pest and disease management practices in mushrooms.
The objective of the research is to review and evaluate available and potential biorational agents and formulations for their potential to control key pests and diseases of commercial mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus).
In this webinar, Aimee will first outline what biorational agents are, discuss what options are available in Australia, and present how the experimental research is being conducted to assess novel biorationals for efficacy and compatibility with mushroom growing.
Presenter
Dr Aimee McKinnon is a research scientist conducting research on microbial-based biorationals as new technologies to target insect pests in integrated pest and disease management.
Aimee has expertise working with insect pathogens and with beneficial soil microorganisms for plant health.
She has experience in developing molecular diagnostic methods and in biological control of insect pests for IPM.
Webinar: MU21006 - Recycling spent mushroom substrate (SMS) for fertiliser in a circular economy
Date: 25 May 2023
Time: 12:00 – 1pm
Location: Delivered via zoom
Registration: Click here to register
Join our next webinar as we hear about the investigation into spent mushroom substrate and how it could be returned back to grain growers as a value-added fertiliser product.
Speakers include:
Dr Kevin Wilkinson, composting specialist, Frontier Ag & Environment (project leader)
Dr Cassandra Schefe, soil scientist, AgriSci Pty Ltd
Mr David Hawkey, agronomist, AgriSci Pty Ltd
Topics covered in the webinar include:
What a circular economy for SMS might look like
Various forms of value-adding including dewatering, pelletisation, nutrient enrichment and emerging waste processing technologies
Some of the technical challenges associated with these processes
Economic and logistical challenges
SMS physicochemical characterisation
Supply chain mapping of wheat production (i.e., straw supplies) in relation to mushroom production
The webinar will conclude with an open discussion on the next steps - particularly with respect to SMS-fertiliser product development and possible agronomic field trials, with input from participants highly encouraged.
Webinar: Food safety certification FAQs with Clare Hamilton-Bate
Click here to view the recording
Date: 19 January 2023
Time: 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm (AEDT)
Location: Online (zoom)
Presenter: Clare Hamilton-Bate
Confused about food safety certification? Bombarded with requirements that are not relevant to mushrooms?
Worried about the auditor coming?
Food safety expert Clare Hamilton-Bate will launch our 2023 webinar series to answer all your FAQs and bust some common myths. There will also be an opportunity to ask Clare questions at the end of the webinar.
Mushroom Conference
Registrations are now open!
This great event will feature a number of international speakers and the best in R&D from locally and around the world, 26 to 28 October 2022.
A riveting International Speaker session on Thursday, includes presentations on two front-of-mind issues, picking systems and casing sustainability. Roland van Doremale from Christiaens and Jack Lemmen from GTL will outline the development of more efficient harvesting systems, including advances in robotic picking. Dr Ralph Noble from the UK and Folkert Moll from BVB will discuss issues surrounding the sustainability of European Casing and possible adjuncts to this vital commodity, with many more international guest speakers who are experts in their fields.
Friday is the local speaker program, with Hort Innovation providing updates on the Mushroom Fund and Australian Mushrooms marketing, and Australian researchers will provide updates on the levy-funded research projects.
MU20004: A scoping study to review fungi based global innovations to inform product development opportunities
Click here to view the recording
Date: Thursday 4th August 2022
Time: 12:30 - 1:30 pm (AEST)
Location: Delivered via zoom
Registration: Click Here to register
Anita Stefoska-Needham led, in collaboration with AMGA, the project MU20004: "A scoping study to review fungi-based innovations to inform product development opportunities”.
In this webinar, Anita will discuss the major output - a mushroom product compendium of over 180 products across 13 categories that can be used to inform the mushroom industry of the range and types of commercially available products globally, as well as to highlight the key food categories where mushroom innovation is most active, and by which major companies.
Anita will share insights to inspire all Australian mushroom growers to consider which opportunities might be feasible for their businesses in the food innovation space.
About the presenter: Dr Anita Stefoska-Needham is a PhD-qualified, Advanced Accredited Practising Dietitian (AdvAPD), lecturer/researcher and inventor, with a particular interest in food packaging innovations and holds three granted patents. In addition to substantive experience in hospital-based clinical dietetics, Anita has experience in industry-led research and development, consulting, and teaching over a 25+ year span. Anita is considered a senior member of the dietetics profession, reflected in her appointment to the Council of the Nutrition Society of Australia, as well as to the Hearing and Assessment Panel of the 8000-member peak body, Dietitians Australia.
Anita is currently the Academic Program Director of the Bachelor of Nutrition Science degree at the University of Wollongong, teaching nutrition science and food innovation, and leading food and nutrition research.