PRESENTATION OF SETACOR
Setacor is a small company, 21 years old that began growing oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus).
Over the years, with effort and research, we have changed the following points of our production system:
-In 2010 we bought 5 hectares of olive groves. And, we have achieved that our substrate to grow mushrooms are the leaves of our own olive trees. We are the only company in the world that cultivates with this technique.

-When the substrate is depleted, we return it to the olive grove to nourish the soil where the trees grow.

-It is, therefore, a circular project, without waste.

-During the year, we grow 9 species of mushrooms according to their fruiting season. In this way, we do NOT have artificial air conditioning in our grow rooms. Our species are grey, pink, yellow and king oyster, lions mane, reishi, shiitake.

-We have organic (CAAE) and biodynamic certification (DEMETER)in our olives grove.

-We sell online to the end customer, with whom we share recipes, our philosophy of life and proposals from chefs like Joan Roca with our mushrooms

-We only sell preserved mushrooms, above all, dried to make storage and transport more sustainable.

-We also have a line of training and advice to small entrepreneurs in mushroom cultivation both in Spain, Europe and other countries (Niger, Algeria, Morocco, Chile, Uruguay, Mexico, etc.) I have written 2 books about mushroom cultivation.

THE ESTRUCTURE OF OUR FARM

The structure of our farm is as follows:
-One person manages the crops and orders.
-Another person manages the olive grove.
-Another person manages the online courses and asesment service.
-And I supervise and work on the whole project in general.

Every week a batch of mushrooms is planted.

Once a month, the depleted substrate returns to the olive grove to be transformed into fertilizer. We do not use external fertilizer.
Thanks to this action, we have managed to increase from 0.4 to 6% of organic matter in soil, sequestering several tons of carbon from the atmosphere per year.

In ases line, we have demonstrated that mushrooms can be grown over crops residuoes all over the world. In sub-Saharan Africa, on wild cereals and water lilies, in Lanzarote island, over volcanic grape branches, etc.

We have worked with universities, embassies, NGOs in Morocco and Mozambique.
In Mozambique, 2019, we have designed a mushroom dehydrator capable of working with absolutely local materials and in times of rain.

Our project is sustainable because of the innovations described in the previous section.Circular project, without residues and crops of species in their fruiting season.

RESULTS OF THE INNOVATION

The result of the innovation processes in our cultivation techniques are:
-Total traceability in all processes since the substrates are not only local but ours.
-Reduction of production costs of both mushrooms (substrate) and olive trees (fertilizer).
-Carbon sequestration thanks to olive grove management
-Reduction of the carbon footprint in the shipments of the orders when sending the dry mushrooms
-Reduction of electricity bills by not artificially heating mushroom production rooms

WE NEED YOUR HELP
Small farms with circular and ecological projects have a strong conviction that our work favors the environment. We do not pollute the aquifers, our soil has a large amount of organic matter, no erosion, we rescue old varieties of horticultural in the garden, we increase biodiversity in the olive grove (eg insect hotels, perches for raptors, drinking fountains, mini ponds, aromatic borders, etc.)
This is more important to us than the economic profitability of growing only one species (monoculture) with air conditioning (without stock breaks) and conventional agrochemicals.
However, if we are not able to publicize our project and put it as an example that another agriculture is possible, sustainable over time and profitable, few people will join the field of agriculture.

We need your support to publicize our project and reach more people.