Back in winter 2002, we planted our first trees on our farm at Fighting Gully Road. We had to travel all the way to Tasmania, crossing Bass Strait, to get these trees from the Derwent Valley. Tasmania was the first place in Australia to produce truffles back in 1998, so we were one of the first to start growing truffles on the mainland, specifically in northeast Victoria.

But it took us a whopping 15 years, until July 2017, to finally find our first truffles. It turns out that the conditions required for truffle formation on tree roots are really specific, so the amount of truffles we got varied a lot depending on where we planted the trees. Many people thought this whole thing was a risky venture, kind of like making wine from grapes.

We started with hazel trees that were inoculated, and then in 2014, we also planted English oak trees. So far, the oaks have been more successful. The soil where we planted the trees drains well, which is perfect for growing truffles, but the initial pH level was super low. To fix that, we had to add over 100 tonnes of lime per hectare to bring it up to the “ideal” range for truffle growth.

Usually, the truffle season kicks off in late May, although you might be able to see the tubers before then. They just need a bit of chill to fully mature. Most truffles are harvested during the middle of winter, and the season lasts until August or sometimes early September when the air and soil start to warm up.