Mushroom prices have remained stable for a number of years. "Demand is not affected by the delicate economic context. Quite the opposite actually, as the market at the moment is rather lively." This is the assessment of Valentina Borghi, owner of Funghi Valentina, who added that, "maybe because we commercialise a high quality produce, we aren't really affected by foreign competition, which usually concerns lower quality products."
"We manage to satisfy the demand of the internal market only processing our own produce, but recently we have started exporting to Central Europe, were there's demand for fresh organic mushrooms."
"The organic mushroom production chain starts from compost and follows its whole life cycle. Once harvested by hand, mushrooms are placed in packets and no longer touched, so they arrive in the hands of the consumer intact through a controlled cold chain."
"Processed organic products also follow strict procedures. Organic raw materials are cooked in revolutionary machines that process mushrooms oxygen-free at high temperatures. They are jarred while still warm and, once pasteurized and labelled, they are ready for consumption, free from added preservatives and flavourings."
The “I Funghi di Valentina, delizie italiane pronte da gustare” jar line (read article on FreshPlaza of 05/09/2012) is also available in the organic and integrated agriculture range. There are various sizes, customised and manufactured with the brand name according to the needs of the client.
Funghi Valentina is a modern commercial farm cultivating and processing button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus), aka champignons, since 1980. The company includes 9,000 covered square metres where more than 90 operators work, mainly women who are less than 30 years old on average.
The mushroom house has extended throughout the years, and now comprises of 30 rooms to which a working and processing area was added in 2008.
Harvesting, selecting and packing is done by hand, and the harvester is trained for 6 to 12 months to learn the special characteristics of button mushrooms i.e., whiteness, compactness, perfume, closed cap and pink scales, all of which are essential elements of freshly picked high quality mushrooms.
Room cultivation recreates the climate of brushwoods. Humidity, oxygen, water and temperature are regulated by software. The compost takes approximately 15 days to whiten and create the hyphas of the first mushrooms which, once ripe, will be harvested during three fruitions.
The company uses the latest technologies to improve production, health and to respect the environment. Air and water are filtered and analysed to achieve protected growing rooms for safe and high quality mushrooms.
"We commercialise fresh produce, packed in its original state, as well as IV range products. Various packages are available: 1.5 kg basket, 3 kg low basket box, 5 kg high basket box, 3 kg plastic basket box, etc."
"Recently, we have introduced Portobello mushrooms (in the photo below), a brown-cream variety of champignons with a flat cap that can grow up to 12 cm depending on conditions. They are usually used for cooking because of their firm and pulpy flesh."
"We have started our last extension in 2008, the year of the speculative bubble, so it has been a challenge. We go on because we are confident of the quality of our produce, we try to cut costs and increase our work efficacy and energetic efficiency."
"Because of this, we use renewable energy, we reduce waste, we recycle and manage waste carefully. Used composts are excellent fertilizers and, thanks to the minerals left in them by mushrooms, they conclude the natural cycle of the product naturally. Cultivation is done at 17° C, so we have always worked on how to use energy to warm up or cool down with a zero impact. We are now using solar energy coming from a 600 kw plant placed on the roof of the structure." (read article on FreshPlaza of 05/12/2012)
The Funghi Valentina company has the QC, Bio and IFS (International food standard) certifications as well as the organic and integrated produce certifications to testify for the hygiene and health of produce.
Contacts
Funghi Valentina soc. agr. ss
Valentina Borghi
Via Cantalupo 10
40061 Minerbio (BO)
Tel.: (+39) 051 879760
Cell.: (+39) 320 4883323
Fax: (+39) 051 6621677
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.funghivalentina.it
