Swiss Military Bunker Revival

Where ammunition was once stored in the army bunkers in Erstfeld and Stansstad,

Alex Lussi, today, grows Shiitake and Oyster mushrooms sustainably. The Bunkers are ideal for this.

Thousands of disused military installations pierce the country of Switzerland. These days they are experiencing a civil revival!

Consumers prefer Swiss mushrooms

Mushrooms are trendy, and the mushroom market in Switzerland is growing. The market share of Swiss mushrooms is 80 percent. Nevertheless, the competition between Holland and Poland is causing problems for Swiss producers. Since the mushrooms are picked by hand in Switzerland too, the wage costs are exceptionally high, the production costs are 40 to 50 percent higher than in the EU. «The market is open. There is no border protection and no subsidies in mushroom production, ”says Lussi. He therefore regularly obtains information from colleagues in Holland so that he can react to changes in the market in good time.

«We have to use our advantages consistently: Our mushrooms are fresh and quick in the store. Our historical production facilities are of interest, ”says Lussi. “We still have space in our production rooms, we can increase production and expand the variety of mushrooms on offer. It is important that we produce inexpensively, maintain the quality and improve our level of awareness. ”

It takes about 4 days to grow a cluster.

Gotthard Bio-Pilze AG, Erstfeld