Two years after the fire, RotterZwam opens a new Mushroom Farm

05/14/19

Exactly two years and a day after the disastrous fire in BlueCity, rotterzwam opens its new oyster mushroom farm on May 24th, 2019. With a crowdfunding, the circular company raised almost € 400,000 last year. In the new farm, rotterzwam will convert 7,000 kilos of coffee grounds into oyster mushrooms for citizens of Rotterdam and the hospitality industry every month. Alderman Arno Bonte of Sustainability opens the farm.

The farm, located at Schiemond in Rotterdam-West, consists of old containers that have been converted into growing units. The concept is modular, mobile and scalable. As a result, rotterzwam gives a boost to the circular economy in the Netherlands with this new farming concept.

Urban environment

The growing units contain a modular and sustainable climate system, which is fully optimized for mushroom cultivation. These units, which are especially suitable for an urban environment, are a place where local residual flows can be converted into food.

New Mushroom Farm

CO2 negative

There are 152 solar panels on the roof of the farm that are expected to provide the full energy requirement. This means that the farm will become energy neutral. But rotterzwam would not be rotterzwam if it doesn’t go a step further. Siemen Cox: “The processed substrate that remains after the growth process of the oyster mushrooms is returned to the soil. As a result, we expect to be CO2 negative within the next two years.” The organization fixes more CO2 in the soil than the total business process emits. The new rotterzwam mushroom farm is unique. This is because it is the largest mushroom farm in Europe, which grows mushrooms on self-made substrate from local coffee grounds, and will also be energy neutral and CO2 negative.

Worldwide

Mark Slegers explains: “It is our dream that every city in the world has a mushroom farm that converts the many coffee grounds from that city into oyster mushrooms. The modular farming concept can therefore also be purchased from us. To support this vision, we have chosen partners who can help place these mobile mushroom units anywhere in the world. “

Photo header: Iris van den Broek

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