WHEN it comes to growing mushrooms Mr Keith Farndale and Mrs Nikki Badgery are the pick of the crop.

The business partners have won the 2000 Top of the Crops award given to the best growers in the Greyfriars group.

The pair, who run DawnDale Mushrooms in Northallerton, received the award at the Greyfriars annual dinner.

Presented by the guest speaker Mr Ron Jones, the former chairman of Pixie Mushrooms of Blackpool, it is presented annually to the grower producing the highest volume of prime grade mushrooms per tonne of compost filled.

DawnDale achieved a total of 583lbs,reflecting an average yield for the year of almost 700lb per tonne.

In second place were Dave and Sandra Jennings of Alne, near Boroughbridge, at 575lbs per tonne, followed by Mr Steve Laughton of Clayton in south Yorkshire at 501lb per tonne.

Mr Farndale and Mrs Badgery were thrilled and surprised by their win as they only started the enterprise in January last year, so it was three months before they began production.

DawnDale is based on Northallerton prison's former gardens and mushroom farm, where they both worked until its unexpected closure last year.

"When the site came up for lease, we knew this was an opportunity not to miss, as we already knew the mushroom farm was a good business with an established working relationship with Greyfriars," said Mr Farndale.

"Starting up on our own was a big step. It has been hard work, but with Greyfriars and our staff's support we have achieved these excellent results".

Mrs Badgery said the award was all very unexpected. "We thought we had done pretty well all year but the Greyfriars group has some excellent growers and therefore the competition is tough, so we are really, really pleased."

Mr John Smith, managing director of Greyfriars, whose base is at Wath, near Ripon, said DawnDale's results were outstanding.

"I am delighted for Keith and Nikki," he said. "I think it needs to be recognised that there will be few growers anywhere in Europe who could boast such a level of performance. It is superb.They are world class."

Mr Smith said mushrooms were one part of the agri-horticultural industry where a real economic return on investment could be achieved.

"With results like Keith and Nikki have produced, we are talking serious money," he said. "A typical grower, achieving prime yields of 510lb per tonne of compost, will be able to take at least £20,000 a year out of his business. Master growers like Keith and Nikki will take out much more than that.

"Compare these figures with average traditional farm incomes of £7,500 per annum and you can see the sort of diversification opportunity mushrooms can represent.

"We are taking on new growers all the time and provide the working capital, the training and long term marketing contracts so that new entrants can focus sharply on the art of growing mushrooms.

"Another important feature of this venture for new growers is cashflow. A weekly cheque means long-term financing arrangements with banks can be avoided."

Greyfriars has become one of the leading mushroom growing and marketing companies in the United Kingdom, supplying Tesco and Netto, the Scandinavian supermarket group