Most people loathe the start of winter, but for truffle farmers Andres and Lynette Haas the first frosts and cold mornings signal the start of truffle season.
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On their truffiere at Wattle Flat, north of Ballarat, the truffles growing underground on the roots of about 1000 innoculated oak trees only start to ripen with the cold.
“Truffle season is winter, normally June, July and August, but historically we do usually get a truffle in the last week of May,” Mr Haas said.
“But this year’s long, protracted summer and warm autumn weather will have an influence, we’re not sure what that influence will be but truffles need frost or really cold air to start the final ripening process.”
It will be the first full truffle season for the Haas’ truffle finder Nala, a two-year-old labrador trained to detect the scent of the truffles growing underground.
“Truffles are found naturally by pigs who are attracted to the scent which is similar to a boar, but the danger of losing fingers to a 200kg sow who will do anything to get to the source of the scent makes trained dogs a much more sensible option,” Mr Haas said.
The Haas’ have been on their truffle farm for 11 years, and producing truffles for six with the number and weight of truffles increasing each year.
“Production doesn’t quite double but increases 70 to 80 per cent each year. Last year we produced about 30kg, this year we are expecting about 50kg and will be happy with anything between 40 and 60kg,” he said.
The Haas’ run truffle tours, truffle hunts, a cafe and supply truffles to local restaurants in addition to a select number of chefs in Melbourne and Geelong.
The start of the truffle season also marks the end of the inaugural Plate Up Ballarat event, with the Haas’ hosting Burger for a Cause at their Wattle Flat property on Thursday.
Visitors will take a tour, see how the dog finds truffles and enjoy truffle burgers washed down with Red Duck beer or wine.
Twenty per cent of the proceeds will be donated to the Soup Bus.
The event is the last of 36 events for Plate Up Ballarat showcasing venues and producers from the region.
"May has seen Plate Up Ballarat provide a wonderful showcase of all the incredible local talent we have in Ballarat and the surrounding region,” said event director Kate Davis.
“We’ve visited the venues and eaten their superb meal creations made of produce by our own hands and soil. I couldn’t be prouder of how far our industry has come and how Plate Up Ballarat has been embraced by our community.”
Ballarat’s Best Pie competition continues with public voting open until July 23.
