THE mist seeps down through the bare branches of the Oak tree, settling on the small group huddled on the ground, peering excitedly into the damp earth.
Col and Sue Roberts crouch with muddy knees in their gum boots and watch as their Black Labradors Morris and Floyd sniff the ground with their wet noses, then paw the earth proudly and sit to wait.
Now it’s Mr Roberts’ turn, leaning down to sniff the ground, and then digging away, until finally he puts his hand on the small muddy black bundle nestling there.
A truffle.
This has been a way of life for Mr and Mrs Roberts, who own Lowes Mount Truffiere in the cold country near Oberon in the Central Tablelands, and for them, it has been a journey of learning.
This journey began eight years ago, when, after much research and soul-searching, the couple decided to grow truffles on their mountain-top property.
It began as a wish to plant trees on the farm, where they ran mainly Angus cattle.
“We wanted a tree crop that didn’t take 30 years to grow,” Mr Roberts said.
“Truffles were just starting to be planted in Australia, and we thought it would be a cash crop that would keep us busy in our retirement.”
They set out an area of about two hectares, prepared it and put plenty of lime on it.
“You need the pH to be around eight for the fungus to flourish when you plant the trees,” Mr Roberts said.
In May 2002 they bought 300 Hazelnut, English Oak and European Evergreen Oak trees from Duncan Garvey in Tasmania.
The trees had been inoculated with Australian Black Truffle (Tuber melanosporum) and kept in a sterile nursery environment.
They bought another 200 trees after that, and spent four years watering and maintaining them.
“It takes between four and 10 years for the fungus to start fruiting,” Mr Roberts said.
But after four years, they brought in a hired dog and found their first ever truffle.
“Our first thought was we wanted to use our own dogs,” Mrs Roberts said.
“We went into this very differently than other people. We wanted to grow trees and use dogs. It was a way of diversification. And it was a challenge.”
They then bought their first puppy, Morris, who was bred in a kennel for working dogs. He took three years to be trained properly for truffle hunting.
“The tricky thing is getting the dog to concentrate on truffle hunting,” Mr Roberts said.
“And the most important thing is you have to learn to trust your dog. If he says there is something there, there usually is. Any dog can do it, but not every dog will work for you.
“You’ve got to be able to read your dog.”
As the years have gone on, they have found more and more truffles.
During winter they check the entire truffiere once a week.
Each tree is numbered and each truffle is recorded and weighed, but the elusive fungus has many secrets yet to be discovered.
“Some trees will produce lots of truffles, while others will produce none,” Mr Roberts said.
At the moment around 40 per cent of their trees are producing truffles.
“You want the truffles to be around 40 grams in size, and nice and round,” Mrs Roberts said.
The couple began also finding markets for their truffles, and today they supply a number of chefs in Sydney and the Blue Mountains.
“The market of Sydney and the Mountains was so close by and accessible,” Mrs Roberts said.
Truffle can be used as a garnish on food, enhancing the aroma.
“If you put it on good food, it brings out an aroma,” Mr Roberts said.
Mrs Roberts said it is great in soups, pies, pasta, and even placed in the carton of eggs.
And what do they smell like?
“They have a subtle, earthy, mushroomy aroma, sometimes sweet and fruity,” Mr Roberts said.
“They are made up of hundreds of smells. And truffles reflect the soil they are grown in.”
But the couple haven’t simply settled for just growing their truffles.
From the beginning, in order to diversify their little market, they have hosted truffle hunts and lunches during the winter months.
On Saturdays they hold a truffle hunt and then their guests enjoy a hamper for lunch, full of truffle-infused goodies, while on Sundays a four-course meal, of course including truffles, is held at their home after a morning hunt. The events are so popular they are booked out until next winter.
But they haven’t stopped there. They also produce truffle butter, truffle honey and truffle oil, but they have also utilised their trees and sell hazelnuts and hazelnuts in truffle honey.
Their truffles are even going to be used in a new gin at the Stone Pine Distillery at Bathurst.
They sell their products at farmers’ markets in Oberon, Tarana and Orange.
Direct the public, truffles cost between $2 and $2.50 a gram.
Mr Roberts said over the years the truffle market has matured, as there are more chefs and people using truffles in their cooking.
“There are more distributors and exporters entering the market wanting to buy truffles. This shift gives truffle growers more options than they had previously for selling their produce,” he said.
“For most growers in eastern Australia, truffle growing is a diversification of their property management and so their plans for marketing truffle has to fit in with other activities and constraints.
“Truffle growers are starting to see that, like many rural industries, they need access to organised professional harvesting and marketing, and they need to be prepared to pay for it.”
