Our truffle tree partners can expect
comprehensive advice and support
throughout every stage of truffle
farming from establishing the
plantations to annual scientific
analysis of plantation samples to
international distribution of your
truffles.
In Europe, an avid truffle hunter used
to be recognised by the missing
digits on his or her hands. Truffleloving pigs were used to locate the
ready truffles and pigs were all too
quick and eager to devour their tasty
find. Very quickly then dogs, with
their amazing noses, were used to
find truffles. So we are breeding
dogs now to be our “harvesting
machines”. Let me introduce you to
"The Trufflers":
Marda and Trevor Norris Woodford's
Dog Trainers showing the first litter
of “Trufflers” to be trained into what
we call formidable truffle “harvesting
machines”. The dogs are a crossbreed between English Beagles and
jack Russells, chosen for tenacity and
great noses.The dogs now over a
year old are doing exceptionally well
at finding Truffle dummies already.
Soon we will be able to put them to
the test finding the real “Black Gold”.
“Perigord Black Truffles”.
Woodford's Partnership Programme
includes a regular visit to the
partner's farm from Italian Professor
Zambonelli who we will fly out to
advise and confer with the farmer.
We supply the technology, the trees
and the know how. The farmer
“The Trufflers”
supplies the land and infrastructure
to create the orchard and runs it
down the line with continuous
technical input by Woodford. This
year in August, we expect the first
small truffle harvest in 3 of our
partners' orchards. We expect a
modest quantity of truffles this year.
And we expect this harvest to grow
and grow.
This is South African conservation
agriculture at its best, building an
orchard of oak trees with grassland
underneath to produce truffles takes
many years. On our Woodford Truffle
Orchard in the Cederberg we let the
fynbos that can handle the high Ph,
required by truffles, continue to
grow between the trees.
There is an epicurean world market
for this product. Woodford's
cultivation of truffles has our very
own South African chefs waiting for
their truffles. This is an agricultural
recipe for success.
Turn to page 68 for a Risotto with
prawn, calamari and shaved truffle
recipe.