In the course of Covid, Frédéric Ducasse made a guess to develop morels in a greenhouse. A distinct segment product he sells to star restaurateurs.
Frédéric Ducasse’s property is situated “within the Bourg-de-Visa sector”. He doesn’t want to be extra exact, his exercise not providing itself to the primary looter who comes alongside. Morels are a luxurious product that sells for 120 euros per kilo with the nice starred cooks of the capital or on the most effective tables in Dubai. For ten years, our man labored in tourism with two lodges and rental cabins perched within the bushes in Brassac. It labored fairly effectively, however his roots near the earth pushed him to reconnect together with his previous and his childhood with a grandfather who cultivated with the moon and the indicators of the zodiac as his solely landmarks.
Not removed from Brassac, together with his companion, he finds a property on six hectares which is completely suited “to the journey” he needs to undertake. “Earlier than shopping for it, I had the soil analyzed and I discovered that there was nice humus for the morel. The soil had not been labored for 200 years, the bottom was just a little steep, all of the circumstances had been met. I at all times wished to get into mushrooms, particularly morels, that are the costliest and have incomparable style qualities.” It was a Chinese language who discovered the primary, in 2007, the method for cultivating morels in greenhouses. A jealously guarded secret till France morels, the reference within the matter, purchased the patent. The producers, about fifty in France, together with two in Occitania (the colleague is in Sidobre), pay a license to the label in response to the variety of sq. meters. After three years of coaching in phases, Frédéric Ducasse started with a 500 m2 greenhouse which enabled him to reap round fifty kilos. A reworked check that prompted him to extend his greenhouse to 1,200 m2. His morels being of the early form, he’s presently ending his second harvest and is relying on 150 to 200 kg. He sells them to eating places, solely starred ones, in addition to in Dubai and Bangkok. Within the Tarn-et-Garonne, the institutions Antoine in Montauban and Les Sens in Puylaroque, reap the benefits of its 100% native merchandise, with out chemical remedy, the mushrooms don’t help them.
Regardless of the Covid, which inevitably impacted gross sales, Frédéric Ducasse doesn’t remorse having began. “I had purchased the property, the seeds and the benefit of the mushroom is that it may be dried. This lets you earn cash all 12 months spherical. In France, in comparison with China, the yields usually are not folichons however the style qualities are a lot superior. In gastronomy, the cooks solely need French merchandise.”
The producer nonetheless has two lodgings to cowl his again, however he desires to dwell off his manufacturing as quickly as potential. “I plan to double or triple the greenhouses. In April, I will even begin rising one other mushroom, the shitake oyster mushroom which is present in spring rolls specifically. I obtain the substrate in clods and a fortnight later, it is beginning to occur…”
Our man is teeming with tasks and concepts however he has a dream: “Reproduce chanterelles at some point”. And to conclude:
“It is mysterious the mushroom.”
