Elizabeth Mc Whirter has been in the business of growing mushrooms for 14 years, and in that time she's seen a lot of changes in the industry. She started out in 1987 along with her late husband Crozier McWhirter, and now here in the new millennium she's still growing strong. She is however the first to admit that the level of commitment needed to get the crops from spawn to sale at market has actually increased over the years – with all the advances in the industry, the lot of the grower is still a tough one.
Back in 1987 Elizabeth started out in one growing unit, with 430 bags stacked 3 high. The spawn she used then was Somycel U3, grown in compost from Kernan's. Today's growers might be surprised to learn that the watering was done even as the crop was picked!
Today the set-up at her farm on the Derryraine road, just outside Armagh city, is a four house operation. The extremely tidy yard testifies to a well run operation, everything in its place and one would say even ergonomically thought out.
Elizabeth has 1,200 bags in the biggest house, and 1,000 in the three smaller ones. Now growing with Sylvan's latest star performer, 737, she is getting 650lb/ton with 3 flushes. She does also get a fourth flush from the 737 which she has described as the best she has seen.
Filling  four houses every three weeks, Elizabeth has only one slack week in a nine week cycle. The phrases "demanding schedule" and "unending work" spring to mind.
With houses being emptied on the Monday or Tuesday, and then being filled on the Thursday, the turn-around time is tight. And you can guess who cleans out the houses; having found that contractors brought in to powerwash the houses tend to leave a lot to be desired, Elizabeth does the job herself. She wouldn't describe herself as a perfectionist, just someone who wants, and needs, the job to be done right.
The unit is serviced by a team of six pickers. It is notable that the pickers on Elizabeth's unit are regulars, and indeed one picker has been with her from the beginning. The secret behind this unusual loyalty, not at all prevalent in the industry, must be good management and conditions.
When she first started out Elizabeth had no idea at the level of difficulty entailed in growing mushrooms – it was something she just got into. She says that she is still taken aback at times by the uphill nature of the business, but knows that nobody said it was going to be easy. The small grower overcoming the arduousness of getting the best crop out is surely a tale told throughout Ireland; yet it needs to be remembered that these small growers are still the backbone of the industry here. When growers pack it all in a lot of expertise is invariably lost. Thankfully Elizabeth, and many folk like her, remain within the industry, continuing to keep up with all the new developments in the world of growing, and consequently producing excellent results.