A Fleurieu Peninsula mushroom company has been blown away by community support following a warehouse fire on Sunday 9 July.
While harvesting produce pre-market at 6am on Sunday morning, Choice Mushrooms operators say they noticed a fire in the neighbouring warehouse.
“Despite our best attempts to put it out, it soon became an inferno, burning everything in reach and filling our farm with smoke, ash and subsequently, lots of water!” the Choice Mushrooms team wrote on Facebook on Monday.
“Thankfully the fire services arrived within 5 minutes and really saved the day. My God they’re brave!”
While there were no injuries, the team lost some stock, farm infrastructure and equipment and while the building requires a new roof and walls.
Phil Musson from Choice Mushrooms has told Jennie Lenman in a radio interview this morning just how heartened he and the team have been following offers of support and assistance from community members and even a competitor.
“We’ve been really overwhelmed with all the community outreach, we’ve had a big button mushroom farm up the road from us reach out and offer us some help… thank you so much for all your messages and kind words and amazingly generous offers, and apologies if we haven’t got back to you. We’re just a bit overwhelmed with it and we are working through it,” Phil Musson said.
While the organisation can still produce grow bags, they have nowhere to grow them, so with the help of the community, they are temporarily transitioning to a grow bag business, selling bags to consumers to grow mushrooms at home until the company can rise from the ashes.
Those interested in purchasing a grow bag, you’re being encouraged to pop by 8/36 Farrow Circuit, Seaford or go to the Willunga Farmers Market on Saturday 15 July and Adelaide Showgrounds on Sunday 16 July.
Hear more from Phil Musson speaking with ARN journalist Jennie Lenman this morning via the audio play window below:
