The Long and the Short of It

Mushroom News, June, 2008 by Sara Manning

Every June members of the mushroom farm community look forward to The Pennsylvania State University Mushroom Short Course. Anticipation this year is especially high as it marks the 50th anniversary of the Short Course. Throughout its history, Penn State has enlightened, encouraged and helped mushroom growers understand and improve mushroom production. Memories of the early Short Courses are vivid, emotions are strong and appreciation is clear. As we prepare to attend this year's program, let's take a moment to remember the history, recognize the accomplishments and look ahead to the future of the Short Course from the perspectives of industry veterans, researchers, graduate students and AMI officials, some of whom have been there from the start.

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THE BEGINNING

Dr. Leon Kneebone was the General Chairman of the Short Course for the first 22 years. He remembered how the idea for the Short Course came about. "I was a student of Dr. James W. Sinden. He was my major professor and was an exceptional scientist. I was interested in research but I was primarily a teacher and wanted to share information and give the industry some opportunity for input. With the help of Pennsylvania County Extension agents in the mushroom areas, I started grower meetings in Chester, Berks, Butler, and Monroe counties and got big turnouts - sometimes 50 or more growers. We invited all the smaller growers to attend. We met them in their back yard and then, seeing a need, put together a program at Penn State. Dr. David McClay, head of the Short Course office, was instrumental in getting the program off the ground. His successor, Dr. Fred Snyder, continued the program and was involved in about 30 of the Short Courses.

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It's important to mention that AMI was always a partner with the Short Course. There was an AMI liaison committee who worked with us on the program. When dollars were scarce, AMI under-wrote a graduate assistant-ship on the mushroom production project with a grant of $2,000 annually which was later increased to $3,000."

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The 1st Mushroom Short Course was held in July 1956. The head-line declared "Growers Enthusiastic with Penn State Mushroom Course (A.M.I. News, July-August, 1956)." Vincent Leo, AMI President at the time, addressed the first session. "I greet you and congratulate you on your attendance at this Short Course in mushroom growing, sponsored by this great university and proudly assisted by the American Mushroom Institute." AMI, he explained, was dedicated to two major projects, research and distribution. "Penn State has contributed in various ways to help the mushroom industry. Now with a united AMI far greater things in research and more profitable distribution are in store for all of us."

According to newspaper reports, the four-day mushroom program brought 165 growers from the United States, England and Canada for the first course of its kind held anywhere in the world. Attendance at the mushroom Short Course was the largest ever presented by the university. As many as 50 growers had to be turned away because there wasn't enough room in the laboratories Many signed up on the spot so they could be sure to get in for the next program.

"Prior to the Short Course, many treated mushroom growing as a skill. The early growers didn't recognize the science involved," said Charlie Brosius, Marlboro Mushrooms. "During the sessions in the lab, you could all of a sudden look under a microscope and see things growing in your compost. The Short Course opened a door to a new world." Before this there really was no place to go to learn how to grow mushrooms. "You had to learn it from your family or by working on a farm," he said. Dr. Knee-bone echoed Charlie's comment, "Mushroom growing was a family deal. The knowledge was passed from father to son." Now, with the Short Course, it was possible to learn the fundamental steps for mushroom growing.

"Before there was a Short Course you asked the spawn maker for help and to be truthful, the help didn't always work," said Charlie. "You could also call on Dr. Aubrey Thomas, Professor of entomology and mushroom extension agent from Penn State for more reliable solutions."

Recently, several industry veterans met in Avondale to share memories of the early Short Courses. Gildo Guizzetti farms and Buster Needham, Needham Mushroom Farms, Inc. said they attended more than 25 courses while John Swayne, J.B. Swayne Spawn Co., Angelo Zunino, Angelo Zunino & Sons, Inc. and Sonny Pizzini, Leone Pizzini & Son, Inc. attended more than 40 of the programs at Penn State. "I think I only missed two Short Courses," said Sonny.

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At the time of the 1st Short Course, domestic growers grew two crops a year, two pounds per square foot," Sonny recalled, "Today, with new technology, the average is about 6 to 7 pounds per square foot and a few farms may even get 81/2 pounds per square foot," he said.

Dr. Barbara Christ, Ph.D., current chairman of the Plant Pathology Department noted that the university conducted research and educational programs to assist the mushroom industry for 83 years. "For many years the research efforts focused only on biological problems, but since the 1960s the efforts have been expanded to include processing, engineering and composting issues. Over the years the mushroom research facilities have changed and been enlarged, and in 1970 the mushroom research facilities were expanded to include the Mushroom Test-Demonstration Facility (MTDF). Penn State, with its unique facilities (MTDF and Mushroom Research Center) and cadre of faculty specialists, is the only university in North America with a program dedicated to conducting research and outreach focused on mushroom industry issues.