Mark den Ouden
Mark den Ouden is the founder of Mushroom Office and the Mushroom Education Centre. Born and raised on a mushroom farm, he has been active in the mushroom industry for over 50 years. His deep-rooted practical experience forms the foundation of his work as a trainer, advisor, and author. In 1999, Mark began teaching at the former Mushroom School in Horst, the Netherlands, where he discovered his passion for sharing knowledge. Since then, he has helped hundreds of growers worldwide improve their cultivation practices. In 2016, he published Mushroom Signals, a practical guide to optimal mushroom cultivation. The book has been translated into five languages and sold over 6,000 copies worldwide.

Curious about his work or looking for professional mushroom cultivation training? Visit: www.mushroomoffice.com 

Mushroom cultivation is a true craft! As highlighted in previous articles in this Newsletter series, compost plays a crucial role—approximately 80% of production depends on it. Achieving good yields from poor-quality compost is extremely difficult. With high-quality compost, anyone can grow mushrooms. But that’s a black-and-white view. As a grower, you must be able to work with the raw materials you receive. A skilled grower knows how to get the best possible yield from any compost.

There are many ways to achieve strong production results. But the key question is: why do you choose a particular approach to reach that result? It’s not just about how you do something, but especially about why you do it. This applies not only to managers, but also to all employees.

Understanding this deepens your knowledge of compost and cultivation. With that knowledge, you can identify problems earlier. You’ll notice when something is about to go wrong and can adjust the cultivation process in time—before production is negatively affected.

Composting and Cultivation

Whether you’re a composting facility or a mushroom farm, you work according to a fixed schedule—a kind of blueprint. Each day of the week has a specific program that must be followed. Both the composting process and the cultivation schedule are largely predetermined. A fellow advisor once compared it to baking a pizza: imagine you enjoy a delicious pizza Funghi, and a week later you order the same one again. But this time, the chef uses different ingredients. It’s no longer the same pizza, even though you expected it to be. The same applies to composters and mushroom growers—they rely on consistent compost quality. That’s why it’s important to stick to the schedule and avoid making too many changes at once. Small adjustments may be necessary, but always implement them step by step.

Consistent Production Requires Smart Adjustments

Small changes can make a big difference in maintaining consistent compost quality. The composition of raw materials is constantly changing. That’s why it’s essential to aim for the most consistent inputs possible. This starts with selecting the right suppliers and maintaining clear communication with them. Discuss your expectations and work together to ensure a stable supply. Keep in mind that many of our raw materials are by-products for the producers—so achieving fully consistent quality remains a challenge. Still, significant progress can be made.
You can also influence quality by processing and assessing raw materials intelligently—and you’re likely already doing this. For example, pre-wetting straw is essential for producing homogeneous compost. Hard straw requires more time to break down the wax layer. If the straw has been stored for nearly a year, the pre-wetting time can be shorter. Another example is moistening horse manure before processing. If the manure arrives wetter, you’ll need to add less water during the process. Drier, colonized compost requires more water immediately. In short: you must adapt to the variability of raw materials. The more homogeneous your starting material, the easier it becomes to produce compost each week that delivers consistent yield and quality for your customers.

Communication: Are Your Employees Doing What You Intended?
At many composting and cultivation companies, one or two managers are responsible for overseeing the entire process. When I’m asked to provide advice, I often hear: “I know how it should be done, but it’s not going as it should.” This is usually followed by: “My people don’t see it.” But the real question is: have you told them what they need to see? And more importantly: have you checked whether they truly understood it?

Of course, when you ask if they understand, they’ll often say “yes.” But that doesn’t mean they actually grasped or remembered it. As a leader, what matters is not what you say, but what your employees understand and retain. Did you know that people typically remember only 10% of what they hear?

So don’t just explain—ask questions. For example: “What are you going to do today?” Ideally, the weekly program is already known. You may have even written it down in clear instructions.

Use tools like ChatGPT to help. Write your instructions as clearly as you can, and let ChatGPT rewrite them in simple, easy-to-understand language. You’ll be surprised how much clearer your message becomes—free of spelling errors and better tailored to your team. Of course, you should always review and fine-tune the text, but it will save you time and prevent misunderstandings. With clear instructions, you can refer back to them later. While many workers on the floor may not be strong readers, combining readable instructions with repeated verbal explanations will help create structure.

New Tools for Training
At Mushroom Education Centre / Mushroom Office, we are developing tools to support this. Soon, the first online course for employees of phase 2/3 tunnel facilities will be launched. This 30-minute course uses videos, photos, and real-life examples to provide practical guidance on how to fill a tunnel. After the explanation, questions are asked to check understanding. At the end of the course, there is a test to reinforce the knowledge.

This online tool will help you structure the training of new employees. After all; repetition is the key to learning.

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