John Kerrigan founded in 1981 Kerrigan’s Family Farm near the town of Kells, Co. Meath, Ireland. This farm is one of two farms in Ireland which supplies mushrooms just to Irish market. So, they really feed the nation with quality mushrooms. And this is very much important thing for John, who is – like many Irish people – a real citizen of his country. Now he rules the farm together with his daughter Karen.
This week Kerrigan’s Farm have obtained Green Gold Membership from Bord Bia – Irish Food Board Origin Green – Ireland’s food and drink sustainability program. This is awarded for overall exceptional performance within the year on key sustainability targets.
The farm Kerrigan’s has 18 growing rooms. UMDIS Mushroom Information Agency visited the farm in July during our journalistic trip, sponsored by JF McKenna, equipment and design supplier.
– The company has various products, including large mushrooms, small mushrooms, sliced mushrooms, mixes with exotic mushrooms, ready-to-cook mushroom packages etc, – says Michelle O Reilly, Food Standards and Ihor Ryabokin, the Grower at Kerrigan’s Mushrooms.
Very smart packaging line we see here. Most of mushrooms which the company sells is in packaging.
– Labels for the products are designed and approved by supermarkets. Many of them carry not just the company’s logo but the photo of the owner of the farm – that increases traceability, – says Michelle and Ihor.
The number of products Kerrigan`s have is around 30-35 – different variations for different customers.
Kerrigan’s Mushrooms do not produce exotic mushrooms – they buy them from the other producers to make their mixes. There is a large procedure for quality control of every batch of mushrooms – including visual checks and metal detectors at the packaging stage. In Kerrigan’s farm itself no nail varnish or jewellery for employees who pick mushrooms is allowed.
-Mushrooms are picked both by women and men on our farms – and men are as good as women. Every worker is paid a salary, but pickers have bonuses for additional kilograms, – says Ihor and Michelle.
As UMDIS was told – the orders on mushrooms can vary depending on the time of year – but in Ireland the market and relationships with supermarkets is already enough stabilised so it never happens that the producer cannot sell his mushrooms on a normal price.
In Ireland, the same as in many countries, the demand for mushrooms is increasing.
