This is what you’ll find when you visit Canberra and Capital Region for the Truffle Festival. The Truffle Festival is an 8 week celebration of the local Black Perigord Truffle harvest. Over 45 participating venues across the region offer the opportunity to taste and experience the prized truffle with events ranging from gourmet degustation dinners, truffle dishes at cafes, pastries, cooking classes and demonstrations, wine tastings and matchings, farmers markets, truffle hunts and more!
in 2014 year the Festival was excited to have the patronage of the well-loved international celebrity chef Antonio Carluccio. He travelled to the Canberra region in July to be part of many Festival activities. See the website at www.trufflefestival.com.au
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Red Hill Truffle Hunt
Jenny McAuley inherited the property in 2003. Jenny and husband Mike decided to experiment with growing the Perigord black truffle (melanosporum) because a lot of different varieties of fungus grew naturally on the property. The first planting of 300 trees was in March 2005 as an experiment.
The area was considered to be too warm to be ideal for truffle production. However Red Hill is 800 ft above sea level and has a microclimate that means that the temperatures are 4 -5 degrees cooler than on the coast and the area has a higher rainfall. In order for truffles to ripen they need the soil to get very cold. Therefore the best environment for truffles is a geographical area where there are a number of frosts each winter. Red Hill usually only has 2/3 frosts each winter. The average rainfall is conducive to truffle growing.
The trees planted were a mix of oaks and hazelnut trees. The original group of trees were sourced from Tasmania. The first truffle was found under a hazelnut in July 2010. It was relatively large approx 180 grams. There were further plantings of oaks in March 2010 and 2013. In 2015 a fourth section will be planted with 750 hazelnut trees for winter and summer truffles.
Red Hill Truffles was the first farm to produce truffles on the Mornington Peninsular.
VTSIG visit to Korumburra
A visit to Noel Fitzpatrick’s truffière at Jumbunna in Gippsland, Vic. The video starts briefly with the regular informal meeting then a walk around Noel’s property. He is/has converting an old milking shed into his ‘truffle door’ for retail sales.
VTSIG, the Victorian Truffles Special Interest Group is open to any growers or prospective grower contact Andres Haas to go on the email list.
New science on the truffle life cycle -IRTA
The title of this talk by Dr. Xavier Parladé is ‘New findings on the life cycle of black truffle and their relevance in the management of plantations’. Again videotaped from the back of the room with some shaky bits and missing sections at the end. Think of it as an illustrated lecture. If you pay attention, it’s the overview of the current science and what Micofora’s Marcos Morcillo calls ‘disruptive’. It covers DNA, mating types, mycelium testing as an indicator of truffle growth, what research is next, and a short summary of how to apply the research in practice.
Barcelona’s Conservas Coll – truffle buyers
As we arrived at Conservas Coll just outside Barcelona, owner Manel Coll was paying a hunter for his wild truffle. Manel (and Marcos translating) lead us through the assessment of the varieties they sell, sizes and qualities and the prices the growers will be paid for that 2015-2016 season. Then we were taken for a walk to a truffle reserve area nearby for some explanation of why the wild harvest is declining.
Truffle Traders WA
This was made when we visited the Manjimup Truffle Kerfuffle in southern Western Australia in June 2016. It was wet, very wet. Dams were full and the countryside was green.The moisture saw a whole lot more truffle rot and an increased yield. Gavin Booth took us for a tour, of the truffière where his wife Mel was working with her truffle dogs and hunter Dave Pottinger, then through the grading area where we met David Pottinger Snr. and , co-owners in Australian Truffle Traders.
NZ truffière activity Guide
Recommended activities for maintaining your truffière by the month
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | June | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec |
Eliminate grasses |
X | X | X | |||||||||
Pruning | X | X | X | X | ||||||||
De-suckering | X | X | X | |||||||||
Remove organic matter | ||||||||||||
Soil Ripping/aeration | X | X | X | |||||||||
Tree covers (should only be for young trees check minimum every 3 months) | X | X | X | X | ||||||||
Check boundary fences | X | X | X | |||||||||
Control entry to truffiere | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | ||||
Stock grazing | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
Irrigation | X | X | X | X | ||||||||
Irrigation repairs inside truffiere | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | X | X | X | |
Irrigation repairs outside truffiere | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X |
Pump maintenance | X | X | ||||||||||
Drainage external | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X |
Drainage internal (truffiere) | X | X | X | |||||||||
Dog provider | X | X | X | X | ||||||||
Dog training | X | X | ||||||||||
Dog health status | X | X | X | X | ||||||||
Dog registration (as per your region) | X | |||||||||||
Shelter belts root pruning | X | X | ||||||||||
Shelter belts pruning branches | X | X | X | |||||||||
Soil test | X | |||||||||||
Adjust pH | X | |||||||||||
Leaf testing | X | X | ||||||||||
Root assessment (tests) | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | |||
Worm count | X | |||||||||||
Apply Fertiliser | X | X | X | |||||||||
Pests slugs | X | X | X | |||||||||
Pests tree borers | X | X | ||||||||||
Pests leaf eaters | X | X | X | |||||||||
Pests opposum | X | X | X | X | X | X | ||||||
Pests hares | X | X | X | X | X | X | ||||||
Pests mice, rats | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | ||||
Food safety records | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X |
Register of all additives (sprays, fertiliser, pest control poisons, magic potions ) | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X |
Consultants | X | X | X | |||||||||
French Growers Manual Text
Season Translate North – South
January August
February September
March October
April November
May December
June January
July February
August March
September April
October May
November June
December July
THE TRUFFLE, BLACK PEARL OF PERIGORD
Version française
The tips of the month
The tips of the month dealing with methods of cultivation, pruning and irrigation, should be modified and adapted for different soils, climatic conditions, and the systems chosen.
They are aimed at giving fast and full production. As to advice on produce handling it has been prepared after a thorough study of the ageing of truffles once harvested. It aims at slowing the process of oxidisation and consequent degradation of produce.
AUGUST (JANUARY)
This is a harvesting time, but not while the ground is frozen – wait for the warmth of the day.
It should be realised that:
• T.mélanosporum freezes at – 7° in the earth.
• -1O°, -12° is not dangerous if the temperature warms up during the day
• Frozen truffles are written off for gastronomic purposes, but they can be of interest to nurserymen who produce mycorrhized plants if they are of suitable size – more than more than 1OO g and confirmed as mélano.
• truffles which have been partially frozen (which is often the case) can be sold in pieces when the frozen part (veiled) has been removed by a fresh and clean cut, revealing the marbling (unfrozen part).
SEPTEMBER (FEBRUARY)
Young plantations
• CH.PUBESCENTS: remove the shoots or choose the best.
• Holm oaks: ditto.
• COLURNA: ditto.
• Hazel trees: Select the 4/5 best suckers.
The following year:
• CH. PUBESCENTS: raise the stock gradually on 1/3 of the total height, check bushy growth.
• COLURNA: ditto
• HOLM-OAKS: raise the stock on only 1/4 of its height and check bushy growth more moderately
• HAZEL TREE: Progressively let up to 12 shoots grow, balancing old, medium and young wood. Remove everything that grows sideways.
Towards the end of the month cultivation can start again if the earth is sufficiently dry.
OCTOBER (MARCH)
Harvesting comes to an end
Young plantations
Cultivate with harrows to start with, down to 15cm depth. During the first year at 15cm from the row, second year at 30cm third year at 50 cm, and for the fourth year at 70 cm.
Alternate discs and tines as many times as necessary to eradicate the grass. When the brûlés appear reduce tilling to one pass per year ( March )with vibrating harrow or similar and the depth to 6/8 cm, coming back to within 15/2O cm of the lines.
Pay attention to protecting against deer, this is the critical period.
NOVEMBER (APRIL)
It is preferable to have finished culture before Easter on the land in production.
• First mowing on partially grassed parcels.
• Test irrigation installations – particularly sprinklers.
• Survey accumulated rainfall since February (reserves).
• Eliminate undesired suckers with Gramoxone (1l/hl) from the end of the month.
DECEMBER(MAY)
Master Grass growth
• Mechanically on young plantations
• Chemically on adult plants (1L Glyfosate + L I 7OO)à l’ha .
Watch out for caterpillar attacks on oaks. They are of a short period (8/1O jours) but can be very dangerous.
Survey rainfall. If there has not been 5O mm between March and April, be ready to water according to the local ETP ( More in the Rhône valley, than in Périgord).
This the strawing period in zones with high ETP: squares of wet straw on damp soil.
JANUARY (JUNE)
On hazels, watch out for the first attacks of Saperdes for which there is no specific treatment.
For more than 15 attacks per adult tree (drying out of the ends of young shoots) cut 1cm under the damage and burn the branches. The attacks can continue until August.
On young oaks the attacks of mildew should be treated individually with with sprayed Karatane.
On adult oaks it is much less serious.
Mow grass.
FEBRUARY (JULY)
Do not insist on watering, stress due to dry conditions can be helpful. According to region and climate be ready from the 20th onwards. Last weedkilling treatment for grass with Gramoxone, with the hazels give a spray to the unwanted shoots as you go by. End of the month, action stations. Around the 26/28, according to the water retaining capacities, 20 to 30 mm of irrigation if no storms hove into sight.
MARCH (AUGUST)
The first growth will be observable around March (August) 10 – 12. In chalky, clay terrains it is advisable to hunt out these “marks” so as not to trample over them and cover the truffles when they appear. During the whole month survey soil humidity; this is the period of vulnerability for truffles.
Towards the end of the month put out traps for vermin, poisoned rice in pieces of 15cm ; of PE of 30 -, dosed at 30 per hectare; as well as slug baits – Mesurol in lengths of 10cm of PE of 20 200 per hectare only on productive areas.
Mow the grassed sections without going over the truffles.
APRIL (SEPTEMBER)
Last grass cutting on young plantations.
Mowing of grassed areas; these operations are aimed at managing water supply.
If the growing period has gone well, that is to say if extreme heat has given way to heavy rainfall (natural ou artificial), the truffles will not need any more water from the 15th. If, on the contrary, it has been unsuccessful, insufficient water or heat, slight watering will be necessary to complete this stage if the month stays dry.
September is the month to prepare the soil for planting. On cultivated soil, plough and pass the tines.
On grass, after squaring up and fixing the lines, kill the grass with Round-up dosed at 2L/ha + L I 700 on a width of 1,50 m on the row, two months before planting. Then you will only have to use harrows at a depth of 15cm on the earth already loosened by the Round-Up to be ready for planting.
MAY (OCTOBER)
Order the plants insisting on a level of mycorrhization of 3,5 out of 5 minimum with the appropriate attestation.
JUNE (NOVEMBER)
On will begin to train the dog on the first truffles which smell.
In some regions harvesting of truffles with little gastronomical interest will start. They have a low market value.
However, one should realise that:
• Some will never get to maturity.
• The small ones are the best seed for the following year.(They should be crushed so that the dog does not find them at each working session).
• The large ones can be of interest to producers of mycorrhized plants for their inoculation. (Wash them and put them in the deep-freeze – they could be marketed).
JULY (DECEMBER)
This is the month of the first harvests and the first markets. We should pay attention to the future Interprofessional agreement which is going progressively to mean that truffles must be clean and sorted.
Contrary to popular opinion washed truffles keep as well as, if not better than, in the earth.
But under certain conditions:
• The conservation of truffles in water, under any pretext, is a crime.
• Soaking before washing should not exceed one hour.
• Brushing must be carried out in drinking water.
• Wiping after washing (important) must be carried out in a cool place so that the difference of temperature between drying and stocking be as small as possible.
• They should be stocked between 0° and 2° in a recipient lined with absorbent paper. A ‘fridge specially set aside for stockage is recommended.
• Truffles breathe. They absorb oxygen and reject carbon dioxide and other gases containing its main aromatic ingredients. At a temperature around 0°, respiration and oxidisation are slowed to the maximum. However, the longer one waits to sell, the more they lose their aroma.
The Truffle Buyers – Laumont (Catalonia)
This is another of the videos recorded on the Barcelona Truffle Tour run by Micologia Forestal & Aplicada in Barcelona.
Jordi Serentill shared how they have assessed each of the 300 plus growers (or wild hunters) truffles and what they paid. (season 2014).
Translating – ‘Pago’ is Payout (in Euros). ‘Destrio’ means truffles that have not enough quality for pieces or peelings. Marcos translated it as a Catalan word that means “what’s left after selecting everything”. The red circle highlight on Supplier 4’s delivery shows the percentage of dirt included, and the other circle is a prime grower with 62% of the truffle in the premium range of 15 grams plus. The columns from Sencera +15 right, are Euro amounts that were paid to that supplier for the different qualities.
The growers/hunter get a copy of their spreadsheet and payment with their following week collection.
See the story Are you ready to sell your truffle for $200 a kilo? in the Truffle Tour report online here.
World Supply and demand – Marcos Morcillo
Maybe you’ve worked out where you will sell all your truffles (or when you get them) in Australia. Have you thought what the demand will be in, say 2020? Most of our successful growers realise that our local market is not going to be big enough and are looking for overseas sales to make their truffières viable. In this video Marcos Morcillo and his company Micologia Forestal and Applicada have, and he presented his latest assessment of the future at the Barcelona Truffle Tour in January we attended this year. Here is another ‘back of the room’ video notes from the lectures (see his ‘Paradigm shifts in truffle growing’ lecture video here). The Australians contributed actively to this discussion.
This chart is from “Truffle Farming Today, a Comprehensive World Guide” Marcos Morcillo, Monica Sanchez and Xavier Vilanova. Marcos talks about it in the video above.
Fred Harden.