Scientific Truffle Grower Seminar
Scientific Truffle Grower Seminar
This is an all-day workshop designed for both beginners as well as more advanced truffle growers. As a beginner exploring starting a truffle orchard, you will learn the important scientific and business fundamentals you must know, to avoid the pitfalls that 95% of truffle growers make, some of which are irreversible. For advanced truffle growers with existing truffières, you will learn why only 40%-70% of your trees are producing, what you can do about it, and how you can use science to multiply your yield. You will also learn the most lucrative way to distribute your truffles.
What makes this workshop unique
Many folks may know quite a lot about truffles. Some may even have successful, producing truffle orchards. Some supply trees. Others are dog experts. But while they are absolutely experts about their own truffières, what worked for them does not necessarily work for your specific soil type, microclimate, soil biome and a host of other critical factors. That’s why simply emulating the methods and conditions of a producing orchard has not prevented 98% of truffle orchards in North America from failing to produce. Only a rigorous scientific approach that takes all variables into account can help you create the ideal conditions that are tailor-made for your specific location. We uniquely bring that scientific expertise, plus deep experience on the business of truffles as well as world-class dog training, all into one seminar. Such expertise has resulted in truffle production at year 4, instead of the average 7+ years. Each year, we incorporate the latest scientific findings and business conditions, so you’ll always learn the newest information.
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Unlock the Secrets of the World’s Most Lucrative Crop
Truffles are one of the most profitable—and mysterious—crops on earth. With global demand for European black truffles far exceeding supply, truffle orchards (truffières) offer a rare and rewarding business opportunity. But success in this field requires more than luck—it demands a comprehensive approach including deep scientific knowledge, strategic planning, top-notch truffle dogs and hands-on expertise. Join Chief Scientist Prof. Paul Thomas, Chief Truffle Officer Robert Chang of the American Truffle Company® and top Australian truffle dog trainer Emma McPherson for a full-day immersion into the science and business of truffle cultivation, including a detailed discussion about the most easily overlooked topic—trained truffle dogs. This seminar is your one-stop guide to launching a successful truffle-growing venture, packed with practical insights and proven strategies from two of the world’s leading truffle experts.
What You’ll Learn:
- How to start and operate a truffle orchard from the ground up
- What to consider when selecting truffle trees, climates, and soil conditions
- Identifying common pitfalls and how to avoid them
- The economics and ROI of truffle farming
- Real-world case studies from successful growers across three continents
- To round everything up: A 10-point checklist for building a profitable truffle business
Even if you are producing truffles, that’s not the end of the story. You’ll want to know how to maximize your yield, and how to distribute your truffles at the highest price possible. We will cover what considerations are relevant in this phase of your truffle orchard.
What You’ll Learn:
- Why only some of your trees produce and others don’t, and what you can do about that
- How do you maximize the yield per tree to produce commercial grade and quantity of truffles
- How to distribute your truffles at the highest price possible
- What’s the most proven and successful truffle dog strategy, dog breed and training methods. There is a significant gap between the skills of what’s considered a well-trained truffle dog in North America and what is actually possible in a mature truffle region like Australia
- How do you evaluate and grade truffles
Live Truffle Dog Demonstration
Expert-trained truffle dogs are an indispensable part of a successful truffle business. Experience the thrill of harvesting truffles during a live demonstration in a producing truffle orchard. Observe the well-honed techniques of world-class truffle dog trainer and truffle hunter Emma McPherson, as she shows you how a dog handler must work with the dog closely to harvest truffles without leaving money in the ground. Emma is one of the top truffle experts in Australia, which leads the North American truffle industry by 20+ years.
Buffet Lunch with American Harvested Truffles:
Enjoy a gourmet buffet lunch prepared by Michelin-starred La Toque Restaurant, featuring ultra-fresh, American-harvested Périgord black truffles shaved tableside. Discover the bold, aromatic difference that freshness makes using truffles harvested just before the festival.
Meet the Growers
Connect with active truffle farmers, ask questions, and hear firsthand what it takes to successfully harvest truffles at year 4 instead of the average 7+ years.
Rain or Shine
Dress for the elements—we’ll be touring the orchard regardless of weather. Boots, rain jackets, and umbrellas are recommended if conditions are damp.
This is not just a seminar—it’s a gateway into a rarefied world of flavor, science, and business opportunity. Seats are limited. Reserve yours now and take the first step toward growing black gold beneath your feet.
Frequently Asked Questions
How profitable is a truffle orchard?
The range varies from $20,000 to $40,000 in net profit per acre per year. We will cover the finance and economics of growing truffles in detail in this seminar, including various distribution models and their economics.
Why should I care about the science?
If you were growing truffles in their native European habitats, you would not need much science because they naturally grow there. Growing them in North America involves a completely different set of conditions, including climate, soil, ecology and biome. It’s only with rigorous truffle science that you can get all the conditions right and successfully harvest truffles. The statistics are stark: Truffle growers without following the latest science have had failure rates over 98%. Those using science have achieved better than 95% success rates.
Why can’t I just use ChatGPT or Google?
You sure can, but you’ll find a lot of conflicting information that’s rooted in myth and misinformation, not rigorous science. This is because both Google and ChatGPT only aggregate information that’s available in the public domain. Much of the information that exists in published scientific literature comes from European researchers working in European native conditions which are not applicable to North America. Other publicly available information isn’t even based on science. Scientific information truly relevant to North America is almost never fully published since they are treated as trade secrets.
