Not your average farm. And we like it that way.
"When you say truffles you mean those brown blobs that look a bit like poo but people pay loads of money for?"
Effie - Bulleen, VIC
Ahh the mysterious Truffle. Shrouded in secrecy – A subterraean delight that not many understand. Is it a mushroom? Why are they so expensive? Do they grow on trees? We were just as naive as anyone when we started our truffle journey. An agronimist has said nothing would grow on the farm as the soil was “shit”. So like the millenials we are we googled “What Grows in Shit Soil?” And truffles came back as the answer. So with a decent amount of energy and a healthy sprinkling of ignorance…here we are. Farming Truffles. Truffles are a long game. They demand patience, care, and a willingness to do a lot of work with very little to show for it for years—until one day, the magic thats been growing presents itself . For us, the journey began long before the first truffle was ever unearthed. We used a consultant to assist us on our journey. But ultimately truffles are a journey of planting something and having to wait 4 years to know whether its worked. And in an increasingly safe and sanitised world we loved the romance of that. The roll of the dice. And even after those 4 years you think you have truffles and boom – you need a dog to check if its worked. As if the reward couldn’t get any better. YOU NOW GET TO TAKE YOUR DOG TO WORK 🩷
Preparing the Ground
Before planting a single tree, we spent two years getting the soil just right. Deep ripping it, picking up rocks and ensuring it was uncompacted. With the help of a consultant, countless soil tests, and more spreadsheets than we’d like to admit, the foundation was set. The best part of 20 tonnes of lime was spread and then in 2020 four hundred French oak trees, each inoculated with black truffle spores, were carefully planted over six weeks—every single one treated like treasure.
The Waiting Game
From there, it was patience and persistence. The orchard saw plenty of mowing, pruning, and general care, plus what we affectionately dubbed Snailgate—not once, but twice. Each setback became part of the story, reminding us that truffle farming is as much about resilience as it is about science.
Incredibly, all the trees survived… except one. Its demise? Courtesy of Simon, a spirited rescue horse who mistook our truffière for a playground. Thankfully, we had a spare tree on hand and were able to keep the count intact. A small hiccup in an otherwise remarkable beginning.
The First Harvest
2025 delivered something we’d been waiting on for years—our very first truffles. After endless soil prep, careful planting, and plenty of patience, finally unearthing those little nuggets of black gold was pure magic. It was a moment that made every challenge worth it.
But this is only the beginning. Each new season promises more growth, more flavour, and more reasons to gather and celebrate. Whether it’s hunting alongside Gravy, tasting truffles fresh from the earth, or following our journey from afar, the best is still ahead—and we can’t wait to share it with you.