RETROTOURS NEWSLETTER SUMMER 2023
KENNETT KURRENCY
Our town, Kennett Square, PA is the ‘Mushroom Capital of the World’. I know this to be true because it is written on the water tower that looms over downtown. In this area there are many horse farms and equestrians. The horses provide an essential ingredient for mushroom cultivation: manure. Mixed with hay, also in abundance hereabouts, it makes the perfect medium for mushroom growth.
The mushrooms are grown inside long, window-less, cinder block buildings known as ‘doubles’. This name refers to the 2 rows of ‘mini-bleachers’ running the length of the structure. A distributor resembling a concrete distributor is used to put a fresh layer of compost onto the steps of the bleachers.
Spoor, the ‘seeds’ of fungi is then sprayed onto this fresh compost bed and HVAC equipment at both ends of the Double controls the temperature and humidity within the cave-like structures to coax the mushrooms to grow quickly; a full yield is obtained in 3 weeks.
Agile, hard working pickers are needed to harvest the pods by hand. Over the decades, these ‘picadores’ have mostly come from Mexico, and many have settled here. Kennett Square is 37+% Hispanic, and the authentic Mexican cuisine rivals the best of the southwest. The harvested crop is sent to a central packing house where it is boxed and put onto the “Cold Train’: a distribution network that gets the product onto supermarket shelves nationwide in a matter of days. Kennett Square produces most of the mushrooms consumed in the US. When you eat your pizza, think of us.
What I find most interesting about this local industry is that, except for a few ‘meg-facilities’, the majority of the crop is grown in doubles next to or behind the owner’s home. In other words, it is a cottage industry run by local families. Many of these locals ride motorcycles. In between tours we are often asked to do some minor maintenance or to resurrect an old bike that has spent too long in someone’s barn or garage. Often times, these folks pay for services with boxes of plump mushrooms. An oil and filter change might bring 5 pounds of Criminis. A major resurrection might mean that we will be eating Portabella mushroom burgers for weeks to come. Mushroom soup is a given, most anytime; a great way to utilize large quantities of fungi before they spoil, and it’s easily frozen for consumption later.
A few weeks ago, Lynn and I were honored to host Alan Cathcart and Kel Edge again. This was their second visit, the first was pre-Covid. We rode the beautiful, amazingly green backroads in the area and set up static and moving photo shots on 7 different bikes. Hopefully, this will provide Alan with material for articles over the next several years. Sir Alan writes for something like 57 motorcycle magazines around the globe. The British media constantly refer to him as 'Sir Alan'. As a former rider, he is still able to qualify, even though he is well past his fifties. His stories are read all over the world. No motorbike reporter has the same level of influence as the British reporter Alan Cathcart. He writes about finding out the truth, his passion for bikes and professional riding. 'You have to be honest as a rider.' Working and riding with these guys for three days was interesting and entertaining.
The third tour of the season is just around the corner. Consider joining, I need help keeping the 26 bike fleet up and running. RetroTours recently acquired a ’76 CB550K2. It is a joy, and I would love to share it with you. We are also looking at a ’72 R60/5 ‘Toaster Tank’ and a K75 ‘Flying Brick’.
So many bikes; so little time.
JOIN A RETROTOUR.
MEET NEW FRIENDS. ENJOY REAL ADVENTURE.
RIDE A PIECE OF THE PAST
ON THE PATH LESS TAKEN
!
DON’T WAIT UNTIL ITS TOO LATE!
RETRO-ADVENTURE-TOURS.
Sometimes we find ourselves in the middle of nowhere.
Sometimes, in the middle of nowhere, we find ourselves.