The event started with a general meeting on Tuesday evening, followed by a small lecture programme in Regardz Hotel Zaltbommel, featuring Anton Sonnenberg of WUR and Holger Zorn of Giessen University. 

On Wednesday, CNC Exotic Mushrooms bv in Hedel was visited, where members were shown one of Europe's most important substrate producing facilities for 'exotic' mushrooms of Bert Rademakers. His brother's mushroom farm across the street was also visited.

Then, it was off to CNC in Milsbeek (Agaricus compost), for lunch and more lectures. Tom van Wijk, director of CNC Grondstoffen welcomed the HLP and talked about his company and the need for cooperation in the mushroom industry. Then, Ulrich Groos, Viktor Braun and Johannes Edlinger discussed the possibility of introducing bottle cultivation (Japanes systems) in Europe, for the cultivation of exotic mushrooms. Appartently, there are still many hurdles to be taken, before a large scale and commercially viable introduction can take place.

The HLP visitors were then shown the recently built, giant TB6 (Tunnel Bedrijf 6) compost plant at Milsbeek and compost packing facilities at the grounds. The ultramodern plant surely made an impression.

For the next HLP event, and its upcoming trip to Japan in 2010, see the events list.

More pictures can be found here on this website and in Mushroom Business nr. 38, respectively.