Truffle Hunting Has Gone to the Dogs - Modern Farmer Truffle Hunting Has Gone to the Dogs By Jake Swearingen on August 30, 2013 Share Ilsa, truffle-hunting dog extradonaire, with a recent find. Kris Jacobson Want to find a good truffle? Find yourself a good dog. It’s hard to find a crop more valuable than truffles — prices can go as high as $2,000 per pound for ultra-rare white Alba truffles . The problem is that they grow underground, attached to the roots of trees. To find them, truffle hunters traditionally used pigs, whose natural instinct for rooting behavior helped hunters locate the fancy fungi. But in reality, pigs have long been out of favor for hunting truffles. Replacing them? The truffle dog. And in Oregon, the truffle-hunting dog scene has absolutely exploded. Charles Lefevre, president and founder of New World Truffieres and organizer of the annual Oregon Truffle Festival , points out multiple reasons why dogs have surpassed pigs. One, they have more stamina than your average porker. Two, they’re easier to train.

Three, dogs are much less likely to try to eat the truffle once they find it. You don’t want to wrestle with a 300-pound hog when it’s interested in chowing down on a truffle. “The lore,” says Lefevre, “is that truffle hunters that use pigs don’t tend to have all their fingers.” “The lore is that truffle hunters that use pigs don’t tend to have all their fingers.” Dogs Versus Tweakers In parts of the Pacific Northwest, there’s a brewing battle between two types of truffle hunters: those that use dogs, and those that use rakes. While truffle dog owners take pains to say that some rakers are responsible and respectful, there is a breed of truffle raker that dog owners view as destructive and — at times — down right dangerous. Outlaw rakers will criminally trespass on property, set up camp, and work under cover of night, raking up huge swaths of land, grabbing everything they can get. The end result: destroyed truffle grounds and a sinking reputation for domestic truffles, thanks to unripe truffles flooding the market. For dog lovers, the advantages are clear.

Dog will only scent and alert handlers to truffles at peak ripeness, when odor is at it’s strongest, leaving developing, unripe truffles untouched. A hunter with a rake, meanwhile, will turn over the soil and grab whatever truffles they find — ripe or unripe. Worse, rare (and valuable) black Oregon truffles actually produce fruit multiple times throughout the year, unless they’re dug up early with a rake. It’s hard to not detect an element of classism in all this. Truffle hunting dogs can be expensive — it’s not unheard of to pay $4,000 for a prime Italian Lagotto Romagnolo (a dog renowned for its truffle-finding skills) and then pay $5,000 more to train them. Rakers, meanwhile, are usually more on the economic margins. “Tweakers are what we call them,” says one truffle dog trainer. “People on meth and getting money to support their habit. You have to be careful out there.” But the real competitive advantage for canines lies in truffle hunting’s furtive nature. Truffle harvesting grounds are carefully kept secrets, with hunters being wildly protective of their turf.

“If you have a pig on a leash, everyone knows what you’re doing,” says Lefevre. But if you spot someone with a pooch on a leash, they could just be enjoying some fresh country air. There is, of course, one thing pigs do have over dogs: They don’t need any training to find truffles. Dogs need a little help. Which is where guys like Glenn Martyn step in. Martyn, who has trained dogs since 1966, has helped mold canines into everything from bomb and drug-sniffing dogs to canines employed by saw mills to detect smoldering woodchip fires before they break out into full-on infernos. It’s only been in recent years that he’s branched out into truffle dog work, but he finds the principles are much the same. “The truffle, per se, is not something a dog would naturally search for on its own,” says Martyn. “The truffle has to have some association with something.

For most dogs, that positive association is food, and once a dog learns the truffle smell means food, they’ll do whatever it takes to find that truffle smell.” (Other reward methods besides food can work too — a game of tug-of-war, a favorite toy, even just the act of digging can be enough to motivate a dog. Marytn’s truffle dog Ghillie, a 5-year-old English Springer Spaniel, is rewarded by a game of fetch.) In practice, this means first coating an item in truffle oil and having the dog find it. Then the item is buried under leaves, then rocks, and then actual soil. Eventually an actual ripe truffle is introduced. Et voila: You have a truffle-hunting dog. The work is a natural fit for dogs and handlers who have been trained in another canine art form: search and rescue. Truffle dog owner Deb Walker spent 12 years training and working with search-and-rescue animals . The thrill of finding someone lost in the wilderness was hard to match, but the lifestyle was rough. “Most of the call-outs are 10:00 or 11:00 pm on a Sunday night.

You grab your gear and your dog, and you drive a couple of hours,” Walker says. “You search until five in the morning and you’re exhausted and maybe you find someone. Or you don’t.” As retirement loomed, Walker began to think of ways to spend her time that didn’t involve late nights and very early mornings. A friend’s suggestion led her into truffle hunting, and Deb now spends her days searching for white and black Oregon truffles through 8,000 acres of timberland with her standard poodle, Tucker. (Tucker’s reward for finding a ripe truffle: a favorite blue rubber ball.) Walker currently keeps the truffles for herself and friends, as well as for training other truffle-hunting dogs. Her husband, meanwhile, has become quite adept at turning her fresh treasures into truffle oil, but they’re waiting to jump through a few more regulatory loopholes before they begin selling to the public. When they do, the planned name is Tucker’s Truffle Oil. 1 A dog learns the tricks of the trade at the Oregon Truffle Festival.

Photo Credit: Andrea Johnson 2 Finding Truffles Home > Catalog >Finding Truffles The Ultimate Treasure Hunt: Finding Truffles Truffles are difficult to find and very expensive as a result! In 1994, black truffles sold for $350 to $500 a pound. In the United States, edible truffles are collected in the forests of Oregon and Washington. In Europe, most truffles are collected in France and Italy. Truffle hunters in Italy and France use pigs and mixed-breed dogs to sniff out truffles. Dogs are preferred to pigs because pigs love to eat truffles. Notice the staff held by the truffle hunter in the picture with the pig. The hunter uses the staff to force the pig to back off, once the pig has located a truffle. In Italy, truffle dogs are trained in several steps. First, the dog is taught to retrieve a rubber ball. Next, a small bit of smelly Gorgonzola cheese is substituted for the rubber ball. After the dog has learned to retrieve the cheese, the cheese is hidden, forcing the dog to sniff it out for a reward of food. Finally, a small truffle is substituted for the cheese.

The dog is trained to fetch, then dig up the truffle. Dogs like other food better than truffles, so bread and other treats are used for rewards. The night before a truffle hunt the dog is not fed so it will be eager to find truffles for the treat. Some dogs take the easy way out. They find and eat garbage buried by campers! Dogs generally do not find young truffles because the odor is too weak. The odor becomes stronger with age as the spores mature. The value of commercial truffles means that there are laws controlling their collection. In Italy, for example, truffle collectors are tested and licensed. There, organizations of land owners called cooperatives control truffle hunting on their property. Unless you are a member of the cooperative, you can be arrested for collecting truffles from cooperative truffle beds. In North America, truffle collectors use three major clues to find truffles. First, it must be warm and the soil moist. Truffles are often found 10 to 14 days after a heavy rain. The umbrella shaped mushrooms which pop up after a good rain can be used as a kind of clock. Look for truffles after these mushrooms have started to collapse.

Second, the right trees must be present. Truffles are formed by fungi that are partners (ectomycorrhizal) with certain trees. You will not find truffles under maples, for instance, because maples do not form ectomycorrhizae. Trees to use as clues include: pines, firs, Douglas-fir, oaks, hazel nuts, hickories, birches, beeches, and eucalyptus. Third, truffles use animals for spore dispersal. In North America, squirrels and chipmunks are the major wild animals dispersing truffle spores. Search among the right trees for pits dug by rodents in their own hunt for truffles. Pits do not guarantee success, however! Rodents also dig pits searching for acorns, onion bulbs, and beetle grubs. The best success results from raking around fresh pits. Look for pits not filled with leaves or other debris. I use a four-tine garden cultivator with the handle shortened to 30 inches to rake leaves off the surface and dig into the soil 3 or 4 inches (8 to 10 cm) .

A good eye is required as many truffles are small and colored red, brown, white, or even black. Bring a supply of small paper bags for taking your truffles home. Write your collection notes on the bag before putting the truffles inside it. Information on fresh appearance and habitat is often needed to identify fungi. Note the color and shape of the truffle, and what kind of trees are close by. The date and precise location are also useful information. These data can help you understand when and where to look next year. Do not put truffles in sealed plastic bags. If you do they will mold, get slimy, and smell bad! NEVER EAT ANY TRUFFLE, OR OTHER FUNGUS, UNLESS IT HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED BY AN EXPERT! You might confuse the button stage of a poisonous mushroom with a truffle, or be allergic. Hunting truffles is like hunting buried treasure. Good luck! Further Reading: Castellano, M.A., J.M. Trappe, Z. Maser and C. Maser. 1989. Key to spores of the genera of hypogeous fungi of North Temperate forests with special reference to animal mycophagy.

Mad River Press, Eureka, CA Smith, H.V. and A.H. Smith. 1973. How to know the non-gilled fleshy fungi. W. C. Brown, Dubuque, IA Truffles | Truffle Dog Company Truffle Dog Company Contact Truffles Often called diamonds of the culinary world, truffles are edible fungi that grow underground, and are considered to be a delicacy because of their intense and unique characteristics and aromas. Truffles are often shaved on top of food prior to serving, but they also are used to infuse flavors into dishes. Along with caviar, saffron, and matsutake mushrooms, truffles are considered one of the most highly sought after, rare, and expensive foods in the world. What is a truffle? Truffles are the fruiting bodies (spore-bearing mechanisms) of underground mushrooms. The actual fungus from which the truffles grow are formed by an underground network of mycelium in a symbiotic relationship with a host plant. This mutually beneficial arrangement occurs when the fungal mycelium and the root cells of the plant grow together to create mycorrhizae.

The plant provides sugars to the fungus through photosynthesis, and the fungus provides the plant with minerals, water, and other nutrients from the soil that it could not get by itself. Why do truffles smell? Unlike mushrooms above ground, truffles rely entirely on animals to eat them as a means of spore dispersal. That is how truffle fungi spread and reproduce. And how do they do that exactly? Well, by smelling good of course! As truffles mature they develop odors and send off gasses and pheromones that signal to the surrounding wildlife that there is something tasty hidden under the soil. We like to eat them for the same reasons a chipmunk might. Are there many types of truffles? Yes. There are many species of truffles, however, only a handful are of commercial culinary value and taste very good. Where do truffles grow? Truffles are found all over the world and are usually associated with certain families of trees such as Pine, Oak, Hazelnut and Willow; although almost any tree can form mycorrhizae with truffle forming fungi of some kind.

Depending on the species of truffle and environmental conditions they can be found erupting through the soil or up to 12 inches (or more!) underground. In the Pacific Northwest region of North America, three of the commercial culinary varieties of truffles grow in association with Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) in coastal forests and timber stands. The main growing season for commercial culinary species in the Pacific Northwest is winter through spring. Different species of truffles, such as some of those in Europe will be ripe at different times of the year. How do you harvest truffles? As truffles are usually found underground, you have to have a way to gather them! This is where detection animals come into play because of their superior olfactory capabilities. Traditionally in Europe truffles were harvested by female pigs because the volatile compounds ripe truffles release are similar to pheromones emitted from a male pig. These days however dogs are used because while they have to be trained, they do not eat the truffles as readily and are much easier to manage. A 400 lb pig is slightly more cumbersome than a 40 lb dog!

Sadly, in the United States, truffles are also harvested using rakes which can be detrimental to the environment and the domestic truffle economy. What’s the deal with pigs? Pigs naturally forage and rout (dig for food) in the ground with their snouts and are keen lovers of truffles themselves and will happily gobble them up if not trained to eat something else as a reward. Pigs were traditionally used in Europe to hunt for truffles because they can detect truffles at great depths, and required little to no training. In some locations using sows is still the preferred method, however the popularity and ease of use of hunting with dogs has taken precedence over the last century. What is raking? Raking for truffles is the act of raking the soil of a forest to expose truffles, and then collecting them. This method, used regularly for scientific collections, often yields unripe and immature specimens which may not be suitable for culinary use. Destructive or aggressive raking damages the ecosystem from which the truffles are removed and also negatively impacts the truffle economy, devauling the quality and reputation of the truffles.

Raking can damage other unripe truffles that are not harvested by dislodging them from the support network with their host trees and thus ending their maturation process. Why use dogs? Why not, we say! Properly utilizing dogs (or pigs) for locating truffles is more gentle on the environment (and we think more fun!). Unripe truffles lack odor, and therefore don’t have much culinary value. Using dogs allows us to find only the ripe truffles with their amazing aromatics, thus preserving and ensuring optimum culinary value. Dogs also pinpoint the location of ripe truffles and thus less of the environment and fragile duff layer of the soil is disturbed when collecting. For many of us dogs are also part of our daily lives, and live with us as pets. Dogs have amazing olfactory capabilities that far exceed our own, and most dogs thoroughly enjoy scent games. Truffle hunting with dogs is a natural and fun way to enjoy working and playing with your canine family member. Can any dog find truffles? We like to say that almost any dog, and any breed, with the right training, can be trained to find truffles. It is more about individual personality and how you work together as a team.

You don’t have to have a Lagotto Romagnolo (the traditional Italian truffle hunting breed) in order to be able to train your dog for truffle hunting. No breed, or mixture thereof, is off limits. We have trained or worked with Chihuahuas, Corgis, German Shepherds, Labs, Spaniels, Cattle Dogs, Newfoundlands, American Staffordshire Terriers, Great Danes, French Bulldogs, and the list goes on. Most dogs thoroughly enjoy hunting for truffles because we make it a game! Can dogs who find truffles also be trained to find other mushrooms? You bet! You can train a dog to find just about anything. The process is fairly similar when teaching your canine to hunt for other mushrooms. We have trained dogs to find matsutake, morels, chanterelles, and other species. Can I grow truffles? Growing truffles reliably is still considered experimental farming to a degree, but there have been many new advances in scientific methods and theory in the pastdecade. Depending on where you live or want to grow truffles and on what scale, there are scientists andconsultants available to aid you in your endeavors.

Truffles grow in association with trees, and in order to grow truffles you need inoculated seedlings. It is a complex science, but there are some folks who are trying, some with success! Why are truffles so expensive? Different species of truffles will fetch a range of prices at market and price fluctuates depending on a variety of factors. The most expensive species, the “Alba white truffle” (Tuber magnatum) can reach upwards of $2,500/ lb. Truffles are rare, and are notoriously difficult to detect even with the aid of detector animals. This adds not only to the allure, but increases the value. This is one of the reasons truffles are so valuable; they are considered a wild food. What is truffle oil? Truffle oil traditionally is made from submerging truffles in olive oil. The oil will tatse different depending on the variety of truffle used, and the variety of olive oil, or grape seed oil used. Doing this draws the essence of the truffles out and into the oil.

Some who sell truffle oil actually do not use truffles at all and instead inject a chemical compound 2,4 dithiapentane into the oil to produce a similar one dimensional flavor at reduced cost. So you want to be a truffle-farmer…? (Part 1) :Cornell Mushroom Blog So you want to be a truffle-farmer…? (Part 1) February 19, 2008 | category: cultivation , edibles , fungi , mushrooms This post and the next were written by a student in my Fungi class in Fall 07. We ate some truffled cheese together and I guess she liked it. Perhaps you are facing a mid-life crisis. Maybe your current occupation is dismally unfulfilling. Or mayhap you are a soon-to-be graduate of a local university and have no post-graduation plans, much to your parents’ dismay. Regardless of your age, if you are dissatisfied with your current position in life, you might consider a career as a truffle farmer. What is a truffle-farmer? and, Why would you ever want to be one?

These are questions you will doubtless be asked by inquisitive friends and concerned family members, once you announce your decision to farm truffles for a living. In order to quiet their fears and prove that your fascination with these fungi is a legitimate motivation for a career change, you will need a little bit of background information. First, you will probably need to explain what truffles are, in the mycological sense. After establishing the fact that you are not pursuing a career in chocolate-making, you explain that truffles are the fruiting bodies of a particular group of fungi in the phylum Ascomycota. The order Pezizales, which also includes delicious morel mushrooms, houses the family Tuberaceae, itself home to a range of truffle species (3,4). You give your family and friends some basic truffle morphology, explaining that these particular fruiting bodies (called ascomata) closely resemble clods of dirt, with their irregular spherical shapes and dark, often bumpy exteriors. You mention that the interior of truffles consists of densely-packed reproductive tissue, with white “veins” throughout, and studded with beautiful ascospores.

You share some truffle trivia, stating that, unlike most ascomycetes, these fungi do not actively release their spores, and grow hypogeously (under the ground) (3,4). You show them a photo of a freshly harvested black truffle, and a cross-section revealing the dense, marbled interior. When you are further questioned about your affinity for these fungi, you point to their long culinary lineage, noting that truffles were regarded as delicacies by the ancient Greeks and Romans, and that their culinary worth persists to the present day (4). You affirm their economic value by stating that truffles are often sold for hundreds or even thousands of dollars per pound. You assert the ecological benefits of these fungi, describing how they live in mycorrhizal association with the roots of several tree species, particularly oaks and hazelnuts, providing more surface area for nutrient uptake by the tree roots (5). After laying down a convincing argument for the legitimacy of your career path, you decide to put words to action. You realize, however, that there are a number of things to consider before you can launch your career as a truffle-farmer.

While there are many varieties of truffles used for both cooking and canning, including the Italian white truffle, the Chinese truffle, and even the desert truffle of the Middle East, you disregard them all in favor of the titan of truffles, Tuber melanosporum (2,5). Known commonly as theBlack Périgord truffle for its French place of origin, this esteemed fungus is the most highly prized and economically valuable variety on the market, often selling for over $1000 per pound (6). As T. melanosporum is native to France, you conclude that the best place to begin your career is in the southwest countryside of France, where the distinct seasons and the temperate climate favor truffle growth (2,5). Well-meaning relatives point out that truffle cultivation is not exclusive to France, and suggest you choose someplace else such as the northwestern United States, Italy, New Zealand, China, Australia, Tasmania, or even the Middle East as an alternative (2). You reply that you prefer France, as it is the best place to enjoy truffles of the fungal and chocolate variety.

When friends and family point out that they don’t know a lot of truffle-farmers, and suggest that you might be lonely in your new profession, you allay their fears by explaining that you will have a constant companion in your hand-picked truffle-hog. An essential to truffle-farming, the truffle-hog (or truffle-dog, should you prefer canines to swine), would be used during truffle-harvesting season (usually from November to March) (6) to detect the strong, earthy odor of the truffles in the soil. As truffles mature underground, you explain, they emit an odor which attracts pigs, and can be recognized by dogs as well (2,3). After choosing a variety, a region, and a truffling companion, you realize all you are lacking are the truffles. Doing some research, you discover that there are businesses which specialize in the production of trees with roots already inoculated with T. melanosporum (5). You make plans to purchase some trees, but your well-laid plans are almost derailed by an unanticipated bout of sound reasoning.

You realize that truffle farms take some years to come into their full glory, as the fungi and the roots must develop and mature before any significant harvesting is possible (5). Refusing to give up on your dream, however, you decide to travel to France and apprentice yourself to an established truffle farmer, to learn the tricks of the trade and establish your trees. You astutely pick up a copy of the new book Taming the Truffle as your bible (7). Then you depart for France, confident in your new life direction, and promise to write family and friends of your experiences in the French truffle industry. References: Brodie, Harold J. Fungi: Delight of Curiosity. University of Toronto Press. Toronto, Canada. 1978. Freedman, Louise. Wild About Mushrooms: the Mycological Society of San Francisco Cookbook. The Mycological Society of San Francisco, 2000. Published online: Accessed 11/1/07. Kendrick, W.B. The Fifth Kingdom. 3rd Edition. Mycologue Publishing. Moore-Landecker, E. The Fundamentals of the Fungi.

Prentice-Hall Inc., Edgewood Cliffs, N.J. 1972. New World Truffieres. Truffle Cultivation Specialists. Accessed online: 10/31/07 The Truffle, Black Pearl of Perigord. Accessed online: . 10/31/07 Hall, Ian R,, Gordon T. Brown, and Alessandra Zambonelli. Taming the Truffle: The History, Lore, and Science of the Ultimate Mushroom. Timber Press . 2008. Truffle orchard on-farm hygiene | Department of Agriculture and Food Vegetables Truffle orchard on-farm hygiene On-farm hygiene is about minimising the risk of unwanted plant, animal and microbiological organisms entering your property and causing problems. It is sometime called on-farm biosecurity. This guide will introduce you to the measures required to protect your truffle orchard from new and invasive pests as well as competing fungi. biosecurity sign.jpg There are biosecurity measures in place at national and state level to reduce the risk of exotic pests and diseases entering Australia and Western Australia. Plant Health Australia are currently working on a biosecurity plan for the truffle industry.

It focuses on exotic pests and will provide information on threat identification and pest risk assessments, risk mitigation and preparedness. However, it is important to have to good hygiene practices in place on your farm as there are some pests and diseases of truffle orchards already present in the state and you need to be alert and prepared for possible future incursions of exotic pests, diseases and competing fungi. Poor on-farm hygiene can lead to: reduction of product quality through pest and/or disease damage; reduction of yield through product loss from damage and/or competition from other mycorrhizal fungi; and contamination of product with inferior products It is impractical to stop all pest and disease movement into your property but you can minimise the risk. Pests, diseases and competing fungi Pest and diseases Pests and diseases already found in Western Australia include black beetle, various weevils, snails and slugs. More information on those and other pests can be found on the Pest and diseases of truffles and their host trees webpage. There a number of truffle pests not known to occur in Australia that have the potential to damage the truffle industry if they do enter the country.

Truffle beetle (Leiodes cinnamomea) is present in Europe where it often causes devastating losses. Other Leiodes species do occur in Australia, their activity in truffle orchards is not yet known. Truffle flies (Suillia spp.), lay eggs in the maturing truffle resulting in damage and loss of value. Exotic diseases of truffle host trees include sudden oak death (Phytophthora ramorum), oak dieback and phytoplasma-associated diseases. These diseases can kill truffle host trees. Competing fungi Ectomycorrhizal fungi other than Tuber melanosporum can outcompete or replace the T. melanosporum on host roots. This can result in reduced or contaminated yield. If other Tuber species colonise the tree roots they may outcompete the desired truffle species. Other Tuber species of primary concern are: Tuber brumale (winter truffle) – already present in some eastern states of Australia but not yet formally recorded in Western Australia. Tuber indicum (Chinese truffle) –presumed to be very competitive and has a broad host range. Truffles of this species have been imported into Australia as food items.

There are a range of endemic fungi in Western Australian soils that may be potential competitors to T. melanosporum, including Scleroderma spp. Some consider the replacement of ectomycorrhizae formed by the targeted truffles by native ectomycorrhizal fungi is one of the most important causes of truffle cultivation failures (Miguel 2013). If not already present in the soil prior to planting competing and contaminant fungi can find their way into an orchard in a number of ways: Introduced in soil on machinery, equipment, shoes and/or animals that have been on other properties. On the plant stock used if the incorrect species has been used as inoculum or if plants have been contaminated by endemic fungi in the nursery. How to implement good on-farm hygiene The key to good on-farm hygiene is to reduce the introduction of foreign soil and plant material into your orchard to the lowest practicable level. The key areas you will need to look at are people, machinery and equipment, production practices and animal management. Disinfectants are used in good on-farm hygiene practices to disinfect footwear, machinery, vehicles and equipment to prevent the spread of unwanted fungi and soil-borne diseases.

For truffle orchards chlorine based bleach is a good option. People People entering the property, including staff, contractors, utility providers and tourists may bring contaminants from overseas, interstate and/or other properties. It is vital that people are informed of the need for biosecurity measures and that they comply with your procedures. Below are some procedures you could implement on your property. Limit the number of entry points to the property and ensure adequate signage to inform visitors of the hygiene requirements for entering the property. Have a visitor checklist to ensure all relevant people are made aware of designated parking areas, wash down stations and wash down protocol, permitted areas and off-limits areas. All staff should be briefed on the importance of biosecurity and of the on-farm hygiene practices in place. Staff induction should include the cleaning process of footwear and equipment on entering and exiting to property. A footbath should be installed at the entry to the orchard and used every time staff work in that area. Footwear needs to be re-cleaned if moving in and out of the truffle orchard. Other options are to provide footwear that is to worn on the farm only and not taken off site and is preferably left at the entrance to the orchard, or use disposable overshoes.

Clothing should also be clean/dirt free. When using footbaths the sanitising solution should be changed at least daily. Footwear needs to be free of all soil and organic matter before being sanitised. Dogs feet should also be cleaned if they are being moved between multiple orchards. Or they can be provided with booties. Use an orchard vehicle, not external vehicle, for the transport of visitors around the property. A basic foot bath kit is easy to put together. This portable kit contains a scrubbing brush to ensure footwear is free of dirt prior to sanitising, diltured bleach as the sanitser and a large plastic tub with a sponge in the base. The bleach is poured over the sponge and people simply step onto the sponge to sanitise their shoes. A permanent foot bath can be placed at entrances to the orchard Vehicles, machinery, tools and equipment Best practice is to minimise the movement in and out of the orchard. All non-essential vehicles should stay out of production areas of the farm. Around the property use designated road ways for vehicles to reduce the amount of traffic in production areas. Only drive in paddocks when necessary and particularly avoid driving in production areas in wet, muddy conditions.

Restricted areas should be signed and if necessary locked and if you do have a high risk area consider having specific equipment designated to that area. Farm machinery including tractors, mowers, spreaders and sprayers should be washed down prior to entry into the orchard. This is particularly important for vehicles and equipment that visit others properties such as contractor vehicles. It is preferred to have a designated wash-down bay for vehicles. It should have high pressure water and/or air for cleaning. Ideally a wash-down site is located between the driveway and farm roads for easy access when entering and exiting the property, is a sealed pad or compacted gravel and directs run-off away from production areas. When washing down a vehicle wash from the top down. Take particular note of tyres and wheel arches, grills, undercarriage, ute trays and floors. Wash then disinfect. It is also good practice to regularly wash on site vehicles as well. Tools and equipment such as pruning saws, secateurs and hand trowels should also be cleaned regularly. Production practices The management practices listed below not only help to prevent unwanted soil and plant material entering your property they also ensure you are well placed to quickly identify any new pest or disease problems.

Ensure your propagation material is pest status known given current technology, record the source and, preferably have your trees evaluated by the Australian Truffle Growers Association certification scheme. Remove weeds and volunteer plants that could act as alternate hosts and harbour unwanted mycorrhiza, pests and/or diseases. Minimise water runoff and soil water erosion that can carry soil around site. Conduct regular crop surveillance to pick up trouble spots and incursions. Animal management Animals, either livestock or wildlife, can introduce contaminate fungi and pests and diseases into an orchard. Regularly check and maintain fences. The standard of fencing will largely be dependent on the expected level of pressure from animals namely, kangaroos, pigs and rabbits. Prevent livestock movement in the truffle orchard. If necessary implement a feral animal control program. You may need to work with neighbours to co-ordinate feral animal control.

References De Miguel, AM, Agueda, B, Sánchez, S, Parladé, J 2014, ‘Ectomycorrhizal fungus diversity and community structure with natural and cultivated truffle hosts: applying lessons learned to future truffle culture’, Mycorrhiza, Volume 24, Supplement 1, pp 5-18 Frequently Asked Truffle Questions Frequently Asked Truffle Questions What are truffles? Truffles are hypogeous (underground) versions of mushrooms. They don't form a prominent stem and their spore-bearing surfaces are enclosed. They rely on animals eating them ( mycophagy ) to distribute their spores, instead of air currents like mushrooms. Truffles resemble small potatoes, and often between the size of a marble and a golf ball (see the photo gallery ). There are hundreds of different kinds of truffles, and while none are known to be poisonous, only a few of them are considered to be delicacies by humans. Truffles (and mushrooms) are only the "fruit" of the fungus (like an apple to an apple tree); the main perennial fungal body exists as a web of filamentous hyphae in the soil.

All of the truffle fungi form mycorrhizae with the roots of trees, and are essential to the trees' ability to acquire nutrients. The belowground fruiting habit of truffles is thought to be an adaptation to forest fires or dry or frosty periods, in which aboveground mushrooms are more vulnerable. Oregon State University Extension has published a nice overview of truffles available here, "An Oregon Garden Guide to Truffles." What is mycophagy? As most truffles never break the surface of the soil, they must rely on animals to eat them and distribute the spores in their scats. The word "mycophagy" comes from the Greek words "mykes" (fungus) + "phagein" (to eat). Some animals, like the red-backed vole, eat truffles almost exclusively. In order to be located by hungry critters, truffles have evolved strong scents that, as they mature, can be detected from a distance by a suitably sensitive nose. Depending on the species of truffle, to humans these scents can be pungent, fruity, unpleasant, or delectable. What is mycorrhizae?

Mycorrhizae is a symbiotic (mutually beneficial) association between some kinds of fungi and plants. The word "mycorrhizae" comes from the Greek words "mykes" (fungus) + "rhiza" (root). Fungal filaments (hyphae) are much more efficient at extracting water and nutrients from the soil than root hairs - it has been reported that there are as much as 100 meters of fungal hyphae in one teaspoon of healthy forest soil. The fungal hyphae not only permeate the soil, they penetrate the root cells of plants and facilitate a nutrient exchange where the host plant gets needed nutrients from the soil via the fungi, and the fungi (which cannot perform photosynthesis) get their needed sugars from the host plant. Many plants will not grow well at all unless they have mycorrhizal fungi on their roots helping them get nutrients. What is the role of truffles in ecosystems? Truffles (and mushrooms) are the "fruit" of underground webs of fungi. The fungi of all truffles (and many mushrooms) are mycorrhizal .

Mycorrhizae are essential in assisting trees obtain nutrients and water from the soil - without mycorrhizae we would not have forests as we know them today. Truffles are also an important part of the food chain via mycophagy . For example, flying squirrels rely on truffles for food, and spotted owls rely on squirrels for food. In turn, the fungi rely on the squirrels (and owls!) for spore distribution, the trees rely on the fungi for nutrient acquisition, the fungi rely on the trees for energy (sugars from photosynthesis), and the owls and squirrels rely on the trees for habitat. What are "True" vs. "False" truffles? In Europe, the term "truffle" in the very strictest ("true") sense has historically only referred to those hypogeous (belowground) fungi that were gourmet edibles , primarily in the genus Tuber. Tubers are members of a larger grouping of fungi called Ascomycetes .

For some folks, only Tubers and their close relatives are considered "true truffles" (all others being "false truffles"), and for other folks all hypogeous Ascomycetes (irrespective of culinary qualities) are called "true truffles". However, there are many, many other perfectly nice species of hypogeous fungi, both Ascomycetes and Basidiomycetes , that are not particularly prized as food outside the squirrel community. Nowadays many folks have discarded the "true truffle" and "false truffle" distinctions for a more egalitarian nomenclature, and are quite comfortable simply calling all hypogeous fungi TRUFFLES. What are Ascomycetes and Basidiomycetes? Ascomycetes and Basidiomycetes are two major groups of fungi (like cats and dogs are two major groups of animals). Unlike cats and dogs, the distinction between Ascomycetes and Basidiomycetes is based on microscopic characteristics, namely the manner in which the spores are produced. In Ascomycetes, the spores are produced inside of sock- or sac-shaped structures called asci .

In Basidiomycetes, the spores are produced on prongs on the outside of structures called basidia . As a general rule, Ascomycetes tend to have a brittle texture (such as Morels ), and hypogeous (belowground) Ascomycetes (eg. truffles) are frequently - but not always - hollow (such as Genea ). Basidiomycetes are fleshier in texture (all gilled mushrooms are Basidiomycetes), and the hypogeous Basidiomycetes tend to be squishy or spongy on the inside (such as Zelleromyces ). This key may help in distinguishing "asco's" from "basid's". There are two other groups: The Zygomycetes form their spores individually on specialized "suspensor cells" and contain one truffle-forming ectomycorrhizal genus, Endogone . The Glomeromycetes form their spores individually or in clusters at the ends of hyphae. Only one genus in this group forms truffles, Glomus . Are any truffles poisonous? No truffles are known to be poisonous to humans (but we don't know everything...).

This non-toxicity seems sensible, considering that truffles rely on small animals (via mycophagy ) to distribute their spores. That said, ALWAYS be absolutely sure of the identification of anything you are considering eating! Many poisonous Amanita and Cortinarius mushrooms start out as belowground " eggs " that can be dead-ringers for truffles at a glance. The Oregon white truffles that most folks around here are interested in eating ( Tuber gibbosum & T. oregonense ) are firm and brittle, will have a beige to smokey-colored marbled interior, and a pleasant earthy odor. Mushroom eggs (and many truffle species that are only appetizing to squirrels) are generally more squishy, spongy, or cartilaginous - always check every truffle you intend to eat, different species frequently intermix. Where are truffles found? Truffles can potentially be found almost anywhere there are trees. Only a few families of trees (such as maples and cedars) do not associate with truffle-forming fungi. Truffles fruit throughout the fall, winter, and spring, depending on species and locality.

They usually occur at the interface between the organic litter and the mineral soil, about one to six inches deep, but can emerge to the surface or be more than a foot deep. Evidence that small animals have been digging in an area recently is often a good indication that truffles may be about. For a detailed accounting of what kind of habitat a particular truffle species likes, and when it is likely to be found, see the Specific Habitats page. How are truffles found? In North America, truffles are found by raking the organic litter away with a 4-tine garden rake. Find suitable habitat (most any forested area; see above) and gently peel back the litter layer (remember to replace the litter when you are done and try to leave the area as you found it). Look for things that look like little potatoes, often beige, yellowish, or reddish brown (see the photo gallery) . If you find one it will be immediately apparent that it is not a dirt clod. Finding truffles takes a little luck and a lot of patience. Sometimes they just aren't there, but you never know until you look. In Europe, pigs and dogs have been used for centuries to help find truffles. Pigs vs.

dogs? The scents produced by truffles to encourage mycophagy sometimes attract animals that are larger than squirrels. Some truffles, including the gourmet edibles Italian perigord, French white, and Oregon white, produce a scent that mimics a male pig sex hormone. It is for this reason that female pigs have been used historically in Europe to help find truffles. More recently, dogs have become the preferred truffle hunting companion for several reasons, among them 1) Dogs can be trained to find, but not eat the truffles, and 2) Dogs are much easier to get into the back seat of a car. Truffle maturity and the market In the United States, we have not advanced to the point of using trained animals to help find truffles. This is unfortunate not only from an efficiency standpoint, but also a market reputation standpoint. The reason for this is that truffles only develop the aroma that attracts animals and excites chefs when they are fully mature. Thus, pigs and dogs will only indicate where mature truffles are. In North America where we humans (with our lousy noses) rake indiscriminately for truffles, we frequently get as many immature specimens as mature ones.

Commercial collectors often have incentive to sell all the truffles they find, whether they are mature or not. Immature truffles have little culinary value, as they have not yet developed the pungent aromas that chefs seek. The frequent presence of immature specimens in commercially available Oregon white truffles has diminished their reputation and value on the world market compared to their European counterparts. NATS offers occasional truffle dog training seminars in Corvallis, Oregon. Contact Marilyn Hinds for information. Below are some dog trainers who offer specialty courses in canine trufflehunting, in no particular order: Pacific Truffle Dogs offers truffle dog training courses in the Portland area. Umami Truffle Dogs offers truffle dog training courses in Veneta, west of Eugene. NW Truffle Dogs offers truffle dog training courses in the Portland area. Trifecta Training offers truffle dog training courses in the Eugene area. Toil and Truffle offers truffle dog training courses in the Seattle area. Pasqual Sricco offers truffle dog training courses in New Jersey, and sells truffle dog training videotapes.

The general principal is to start when the dog is young, and get them used to the scent of truffles by having them fetch a sock with mature truffles inside, and gradually work up to finding the hidden, then buried sock. Some folks have used a pungent cheese (like limburger) as a surrogate for mature truffles. Links to accounts of truffle dog training are below: Oregon white truffle (Tuber oregonense and T. gibbosum) Reasonably common in the Pacific Northwest from the west side of the Cascade mountains to the coast from British Columbia to northern California. Tuber oregonense is generally found from October through February. Its exterior perideum is whitish when young, developing orangish-brown tints as it matures, and finally becoming orangish-brown overall. Microscopically, it has a perideum of interwoven hyphae. Tuber gibbosum is usually found from February through June. Its exterior perideum begins whitish and becomes pale olive-brown as it matures. Microscopically the perideum is of inflated cells.

In both species, the texture is quite firm (not spongy), and the interior is white when immature becoming a marbled smokey brown as it matures. Both species seem to prefer young (15-40 year-old) Douglas-fir plantations. By February, most of the Tuber oregonense should be pretty mature and the T. gibbosum will just be getting started. Tom Volk has a nice Oregon white truffle website. You can also read more about both Oregon white and black truffles in this article . Oregon brown truffle (Kalapuya brunnea) The Oregon brown truffle was discovered by NATS members in the early 1990's and formally described in 2010. It grows in younger Douglas-fir forests in the Oregon Coast Range and western foothills of the Cascades. It has a reddish-brown exterior and a greyish mottled interior. When mature the odor can be quite garlicky.

Oregon black truffle (Leucangium carthusianum, formerly Picoa carthusiana) Less common than Oregon white truffles, Oregon blacks are larger (golf-ball to baseball size), and are often much deeper in the soil than Oregon whites (commonly 4-10" deep). They are very dark inside and out, and have a very pungent, earthy odor when ripe. Some equate the aroma to a strange mix of pineapple, port, mushrooms, rich soil, and chocolate. Looking like irregular lumps of coal, with white-veined flesh, the Oregon black truffle has a texture of moist Parmesan and ground almonds. French black (Perigord) truffle (Tuber melanosporum) Native to the oak forests of the Perigord region of central and southwest France, it is now widely cultivated in Spain, Australia, and the United States. The black perigord is among the most valuable of truffles at up to $1000/pound. It has a blue-black exterior when fresh, fading to brown-black with age and a pungent, earthy odor.

Italian white (Piedmont) truffle (Tuber magnatum) Considered by some (mostly the French) to be second best to the French black truffles, its cost can exceed that of the perigord. It is native to the foothills and mountains of northern and central Italy and southern Yugoslavia. They grow in conjuction with oak, hazel, poplar, and beech trees. The flesh is solid, light-coloured, and very brittle; it is not unheard of for a fresh truffle to shatter if dropped on the floor. Large specimens can weigh as much as a pound, but most are the size of large walnuts. The white truffle is slightly more perishable than its darker cousins, and the flavour and aroma diminishes within a week or two after harvest. The white truffle has a distinctive pepper edge and is often eaten raw. The skin is a dirty beige when fresh, turning a darker brown with age. More information can be found at this website. Burgundy, or Summer truffle (Tuber aestivum, formerly Tuber uncinatum) Native to France, Italy, and Spain, the summer truffles are usually at their best in July, but can be found from May to October.

They have a black exterior and off-white interior, and a relatively light scent. This truffle has been established on plantations in Sweden and New Zealand. Tuscan truffle (Tuber borchii, formerly Tuber albidum) Similar to the Italian white truffle in appearance, having a chestnut to muddy tan exterior and a softish interior equally divided between chocolate brown and white. The flavor can be distinctly garlicky. Pecan (Texas) truffle (Tuber lyonii, formerly Tuber texense) Pecan truffles (also called Texas truffles) are found from New Mexico to the gulf coast and eastern seaboard to the great lakes and eastern Canada. It is not limited to areas with pecan trees, but was named based on the habitat in which it was discovered. More information can be found at this University of Georgia website. Click here for a story about Pecan truffles from the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Island Packet, and click here for a story about Pecan truffles from the New York Times.

Chinese truffles (Tuber sinense, Tuber indicum, and Tuber himalayense) These are three distinct species found in southwest China, but pickers tend to lump them together as Chinese truffles. This is unfortunate since the flavor and quality vary from one species to another. First marketed in France in 1994, these truffles are now found in American restaurants at fairly reasonable prices, but their flavor and aroma do not come close to that of the French truffles, perhaps for the same reasons as Oregon white truffles ( too many immature specimens ). T. indicum is recognizable by its brown interior and very fine white veins. T. sinense has a dark brown interior with large ivory veins, and is said to be chewy and oily with a bitter aftertaste. Desert truffles (Terfezia boudieri, Terfezia pfielii, Terfezia claveryi, and others) Native to northern Africa and the Middle East, these truffles have been a staple for many nomadic tribes for millenia. Sometimes called the Lightning Truffle, they often fruit shortly after thunderstorms wet the desert. There is an account of desert truffle culture here . How are truffles cooked?

Truffles are generally used raw, or very lightly cooked, because the flavor compounds are highly volatile. Truffles go very well with brie cheese (doesn't everything?). NATS has compiled a cookbook of truffle recipes , a few of which are posted on the Recipes page . Below are some links to other truffle recipe websites: How do I store truffles? Truffles can be stored for several days in a paper bag (never in plastic!) in the refrigerator. They can be frozen for several months in a glass jar. They can be immersed in olive oil, and the oil will absorb the flavor, however shelf life at room temperature is limited without pasteurization. Some folks store truffles in dry white rice, but this is not recommended as the rice will tend to draw the moisture and aroma away from the truffles, diffusing and diluting the aroma. Ideally, truffles should be used as fresh as possible, unless you are in the enviable situation of having too many! I found a truffle. What is it? What? You don't have your very own copy of the NATS Field Guide to Selected North American Truffles and Truffle-like Fungi ? You can get one here !

Alternatively, you can mail specimens to the Trufflemaster for identification. Truffles should be dried thoroughly before mailing (see below). For more infomation on sending truffles for identification click here . Include your email address, collection location and habitat data, and any notes about unique fresh characteristics (odor, staining reactions, etc.). How do I dry truffles? Truffles should be dried before sending to the Trufflemaster for identification, but not if you intend to eat them. Fresh truffles sent through the mail often arrive as an unrecognizable furry odiferous lump - not a good thing! Ideally, truffles to be mailed for identification should be dried on a regular food dehydrator. If you don't have a dehydrator, leave them in the fridge in a loosely closed paper bag for about 3 days, this will dry them quite well (Caution: This may impart a truffle flavor all other foods in the refrigerator!). Truffles dry a lot faster if they are cut in half first. For more information on sending truffles for identification click here . What about truffle farming? Businesses that sell trees inoculated with truffle mycorrhiza can easily be found on the internet.

Results are not guaranteed and can take years. It is a good idea to get sample trees assessed for root colonization by an independent lab (such as MycoRoots ). Small Farms Magazine Farming Truffles By David Hunter Quietly, and without too much fanfare, a small but growing number of farmers are looking at the option of growing truffles. In fact, in many cases, the farmers are not just being quiet about it, they are being highly secretive. The reason for this is that truffles have an extremely high value - usually in the multiple thousands of dollars per kg. In France and Italy where truffles have been wild harvested for centuries, the locals are secretive about the location of their truffle beds. So don’t expect to see too many ‘X marks-the-spot’ maps of the location of truffle farms. Truffles are fungi that grow alongside, and in close association with, the roots of certain trees, usually oaks and hazels. The appealing edible truffles, especially the Perigold black truffle, (Tuber Melanosporum) are rare and valuable. There is a report that a Japanese businessman paid $18,000kg for truffles in the 1990’s.

The average price currently paid in Europe is in the range of $3000 to $5000 per kg. Truffles are not eaten in the same way as meat or vegetables they are used in the cooking process, finely slivered, to enhance taste. While consumption of truffles is not a part of the mainstream Australian diet, it certainly forms a highly valued part of the cuisine of certain European regions. It is the most expensive food on the planet. Truffles are seasonal - being harvested in winter - and they are most prized when fresh. In traditional European cuisine, therefore, there has been an on-season and an off-season for truffles and this means that the opportunity exists for Australian farmers to supply truffles in the European off-season. Based in Bombala, NSW, Bill and Raylene Stevenson own and operate Australia’s only truffle nursery, and use technology developed in New Zealand. The technology is used under a licence from the NZ based owner of the intellectual property. Large parts of the technology are commercially confidential and so tech-nical details are limited. There are native truffles in the Australian landscape but they are not palatable and have no market value.

The prospective farmer needs to set up a grove of trees at the right planting density and in the right conditions for the root zones of the trees to overlap. This creates the conditions for the fungi to live in the ground also occupied by the root mat of the trees. The truffle bed thus created is referred to as a truffiere (pronounced troo-fee-air). The recommended planting density is around 450 - 500 trees per ha and other features of the selected site include:- High pH soils. The ground for the truffiere must be high in pH. Raylene comments, “This is really critical. A minimum pH level is 7.5 and the optimum is 7.9. Many of Australia’s farming lands are well below this level and, if a farmer seeks to establish a truffiere on low pH soil he/she must make the effort to lift the pH and keep it permanently high. The best course is to find a part of the property where pH is naturally high or, if you are serious about truffle farming, to move to a location where the soil pH is naturally high.” Free draining soils. The development of the fungi is inhibited in clay soils.

If the soil becomes too wet the fungi can also rot underground before it is ready for harvest. In order to develop the truffle bed the top 300mm of soil should be loose enough to enable the farmer to dig out the truffles when they develop. Quality water/irrigation. Irrigation water must be available to the site when required. Although the site need not be irrigated all the time, the fungi develops poorly if the ground dries out for too long. Supplementary irrigation is therefore required and the farm management plan must be hands on to the extent that soil humidity is measured regularly and not left to chance. Raylene states, “The guiding rule with irrigation is that, if the trees do it hard, the truffles do it hard. This means that the water source must not only be plentiful and reliable, it must be of high quality. There are times in our nursery operation we use a reverse osmosis treatment of water to ensure its highest quality.” Ground selection. Truffles are sensitive to picking up chemical residues in the soil. Ground selection for the truffle site should take into account the previous land use and stay away from old drenching sites or cropping areas which may contain herbicide or pesti-cide residues.

One of the potential advantages Aust-ralia has over European truffles is that the growing conditions here are cleaner and greener than in many European sites which have suffered the effects of acid rain and the results of industrialisation. Trees. The most common trees supplied in Australia are European - English Oak (Quuercus Robur) and Common Hazel (Corylus Avellana). When these trees come from the nursery, they have already been treated in a way which will ensure the growth of the fungi. The Oak and Hazel trees create the best conditions for the Perigold Black Truffle. Wind protection. The small trees need some form of wind protection when they are still young. However, this is not necessarily achieved by native tree belts because these can contaminate the truffle bed with wild truffle species. Fencing. In the early stages of truffle bed development the young trees are vulnerable to rabbits and various other wild life. A fine fence is required to keep out all small grazing animals. Buffer zone. Due to the potential for fungal contamination it is best to create a border-zone around the truffle bed. This may be in the range of 50m - 100m. Climate.

A climate with crisp frosty winter mornings and plentiful sunshine hours is ideal. The Bombala region is suitable with the following characteristics; annual average rainfall - 649mm, mean daily temperature in summer - 20.5˚C, annual sunshine hours 2370, summer sunshine hours - 1579 (October to March). The need for irrigation becomes more pressing where summer temperatures are hot and dry. Need for a truffle dog. Although a prototype electronic truffle sniffer is under development, the most effective method of truffle detection is with animals. Traditionally, in France, pigs have been used for this purpose but, in Australia, the favoured animal is a truffle dog. These dogs are trained to sniff the truffles to a depth of around 30cm and are rewarded with a treat - not a truffle - each time they locate the prize. Once located, the task still remains for the farmer to dig carefully with a pronged fork to recover the harvest. The need for digging is also a reason why the ground needs to be soft. Time to harvest. The complicated root matting and fungi development takes a long time to develop.

First harvest in a truffiere may be from four to seven years after planting. Yield. The yield of a truffiere is measured in kg’s of truffles per tree. Once the trees are mature, each tree has the potential to produce up to 1kg of truffles per year. This is a reasonable planning figure. There have been cases of trees yielding up to 2kg per year. Growing/Harvest cycle. The European trees are deciduous. They emerge from their dormancy period in spring and grow strongly through the summer. The fungi are most active at the same time that the trees are most active. In winter the trees become dormant and so do the fungi. It is in the winter dormancy that the fungi form into the hard, black, knotted tubers beneath the ground. In conclusion Raylene states, “There is a large degree of secrecy about who is planting truffle beds and where they are planting them. “Despite this, we know from our involvement with the industry, that there is a reasonable amount of activity out there. The industry is at an early stage in Australia that no one knows for sure whether it will be successful or not.

Some farmers are planting groups of just ten trees to see how they turn out, others are planting larger areas and gearing up for higher volume production.” How to Grow Truffles in the United States – Farm and Garden – GRIT Magazine Print Email A little while back, I attended a tea outing with several appetizing morsels to tempt the taste buds. Everything was beautifully arranged and looked delightful, but when my eyes landed on a plate of what looked like a simple chocolate candy, I couldn’t resist taking a bite — one cautious bite that in mere moments had me positively beaming with joy. “Oh,” Margaret said as she watched me enjoy the treat, “those are truffles.” “These are truffles? No wonder Albion liked them,” I said, trying to decide if I dare finish it. “Who’s Albion?” she asked. “Albion, Albion, lived in a sty. Dined upon truffles and black bottom pie,” I quoted from one of my favorite children’s books, Albion Pig. “Well, if Albion is a pig,” replied this recent college graduate with a degree in biology, “his truffles are probably of the mushroom variety.” I had no idea. What are truffles?

While truffles certainly come in the rich, delicious chocolate variety, they’re also a type of underground fungus, or mushroom — equally rich-tasting and delightful, but much more of the savory persuasion. Hundreds of varieties of the mushrooms exist. The edible species are highly prized as a culinary delicacy, and they are used in Middle Eastern, French, Spanish, Italian and Greek cooking. They grow wild in the forests of Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and North America. European white truffles (Tuber magnatum) can cost as much as $3,600 a pound — making them ounce for ounce the most expensive food in the world. Since most folks can’t afford to buy truffles by the pound, they buy Black Diamonds, a small packet of shavings from French Black Perigord Truffles (Tuber melanosporum) that sell for a few hundred dollars. The native truffles that grow in the Pacific Northwest of the United States are not the same as European truffles, nor do they command the same high price. So, why would the diet of the rich and famous interest you? Because farmers in North America are finding that they, too, can grow — and sell for a profit — European truffles.

How to grow truffles David Cassford wanted to do something with his 11 acres besides mow it. As a native to the Isle of Wight, he has a particular fondness for the filbert nut. Thinking he might like to plant a grove of filbert trees, he researched them online — and discovered truffles. Truffles grow in a symbiotic (give-and-take) relationship on the roots of trees — particularly filbert and certain species of oak. “When the trees are dormant in the winter,” says Cassford, “the truffles take their nutrition from them. When the trees wake up in the spring, they take nutrition from the truffles.” Truffles are thus harvested, using trained dogs to sniff them out, in the winter months before the trees begin to feed on them. Any dog can be trained to harvest truffles. “They are trained much like drug dogs or currency dogs,” says Pat Martin, president of the North American Truffle Growers Association, and co-owner with her husband, John, of Virginia Truffles in Rixeyville, Virgina. The Martins use two Labrador retrievers at their truffiere, Le Clos de la Rabasse.

Although the Lagotto Romagnolo, from Italy, is bred specifically for truffle harvesting, Martin said that any breed that likes food rewards will work. In the world of truffles, the dog training is the easy part. Preparing the site for your truffiere requires the most labor. Remove all trees, stumps and root systems from previous growth, then test your soil. Since truffles require a soil pH of 8 to 8.3, United States growers must apply agricultural lime before planting. “Send your soil samples to A&L Laboratories in Memphis, Tennessee for testing,” says Martin. They might be the only lab outside of France that will test your soil according to truffle growing standards and for the micronutrients needed specifically for this crop. Once your soil is prepared, consider irrigation. Maturing trees require about an inch of water a week. When growing truffles, you do not plant one or two trees; you plant one or two acres of trees. If watering the trees proves too labor-intensive, you will likely abandon your orchard and your investment. Truffles also need four well-defined seasons.

According to Franklin Garland, owner of Garland Truffles in Hillsborough, North Carolina, they grow best in a temperate climate without extreme temperature variations. Snow is good because it insulates the ground and keeps the truffles warm. But freezing temperatures of around 20 degrees and below for more than several days will damage them and decrease their value. And since you harvest them during the winter, you will not be able to dig them up if the ground freezes. Garland says the mid-Atlantic region is best. In the United States, black Perigord truffles and Burgundy truffles (Tuber uncinatum) are currently being produced in North and South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. Other farms in West Virginia, Maryland and Delaware are close to harvesting. If your property is surrounded by mature, native hardwoods, experts recommend you leave a 30-to-40-foot buffer between the existing forest and your plantings. The European truffieres do this to keep competing fungi in the forest from taking hold in their truffle trees. Since growers in the U.S. must amend the soil to sustain the truffles, however, it’s questionable whether the competing fungi can successfully establish themselves in the new environment.

Martin’s daughter, Olivia Taylor, a graduate student of mycology, is writing her thesis on this very question. Until her findings are published, though, it is better to be safe than sorry, and build the recommended buffer zone. If there’s so much money to be made, why aren’t more homesteaders growing truffles? It ultimately comes down to what Garland calls the “human factor.” Since it takes six to eight years to harvest a marketable crop, most folks give up. While you are not reaping the fruit of your labor, your orchard still requires maintenance. Garland used the tomato plant to explain. “You can plant one tomato plant, no problem. You plant 10 plants, no problem. But when you plant 500 tomato plants, it gets difficult. You can’t plant and come back three months later expecting to find tomatoes. There won’t be any. There’ll be weeds.” A lot of folks start off gung-ho building a truffiere, and then fail to maintain it. In fact, according to Garland, 50 percent of truffle orchard failures are abandoned because the person didn’t have the patience or the energy necessary for the long haul.

Another consideration is that while you maintain the health of the trees above the ground, you cannot see what is growing below the surface. In fact, you don’t even know if the inoculation of the tree roots with the truffle spores actually took. However, a few tell-tale signs will give one hope. Truffles emit volatile organic compounds that act as an herbicide and kill the vegetation at the base of the tree. This area is called a brule — the French word for burned. Another sign is the growth of moss, and a third, for black truffles, is the presence of puffballs. If you see no signs, all is not necessarily lost — a window of opportunity exists to reinoculate the trees, and amend the soil nutrients, between the sixth and eighth years. Since truffles grow in a symbiotic relationship with trees, the grower not only needs to think of the safety of his truffles, but the trees as well. The Martins have been able to protect their trees from pest and disease damage using preventative and natural methods. A fence keeps out deer, which will eat young trees, and skunks, possums and raccoons, which will dig around the roots.

“The oaks are hardy enough to resist,” says Martin, “but the filbert trees are now subject to the Eastern Filbert Blight.” There is no treatment for this blight, and according to Martin, once one tree gets it, it will wipe out an entire orchard — a major investment of time and money. Planting a truffle orchard is not cheap. Cassford’s soil required an application of 20 tons of lime. He also installed an irrigation system and purchased 500 trees at $24 each. The initial investment for 1 acre cost him around $25,000. But Cassford is a hard worker. He tends his trees like they are his babies. And in five more years, he expects to harvest enough truffles to pay for this investment. After that, it’s all profit. If you make it to harvest, selling is not a problem. The market for truffles is hungry. A farmer with a 1/2-acre orchard can make it with only one to two restaurant clients. Brokers that specialize in fine food products or mushrooms buy truffles; and if you live near a high-end farmers’ market, you could sell them by the ounce.

Martin said you can vacuum seal them, pack on ice, and ship next-day air anywhere in the country. Restaurants would buy from you before they’d pay the freight on European shipments. If you cannot market your own crop, Garland will buy them for $500 a pound. The cheapest he has seen truffles was $300 a pound in 1979. But for the last five years (ones of recession) the price has remained stable at $800 a pound. The newest contender in the alternative farming arena, truffles have not yet won widespread trust. Those who have cast their lots, however, have confidence in what they are doing. “We firmly believe we will be successful, or we wouldn’t be doing ­­it,” says Martin. “Yeah, just don’t bet the farm on it,” counters her daughter Taylor, with a wink and a chuckle. As for Cassford, the hard work is behind him. All he needs is time, and a dog. Read more: Wild Mushroom Identification . Resources for Growing Truffles Want to start a truffle orchard while you still have a spring in your step? Here are a few resources to help you out.

The North American Truffle Growers’ Association is a non-profit organization established for the support and education of truffle growers in North America. Members include truffle growers in Tennessee, Virginia, North and South Carolina, Iowa, Kentucky, Arkansas, Idaho and Oregon. For more information, visit The North American Truffle Growers' Association . Garland Truffles of Hillsborough, North Carolina, has been in business since 1979. The company sells inoculated trees, educational materials, and supplies for the truffle grower. Its staff also hosts tours of the facilities, complete with truffle tastings by appointment. For more information about truffle growing or the company’s products, visit Garland Truffles . In 2007, John and Pat Martin founded Virginia Truffles in Rixeyville, Virginia. They sell inoculated trees from their nursery and offer consultations for the beginning truffle grower. For information about establishing a truffiere and more, visit Virginia Truffles . Located in Napa, California, the American Truffle Co. hosts the annual Napa Truffle Festival.

The company also provides seedlings inoculated with either black Perigord or Burgundy truffle spores and the education necessary for a beginning farmer to succeed in truffle cultivation, all in a partnership arrangement. For more information, or to read archived issues of the company’s newsletters, visit American Truffle Co . Carol J. Alexander writes about truffles and other alternative farming practices from her home in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.

Question: What farmyard animal is used to search for Truffles?
Answer: Pig