You can't keep a good Canuck down, not if they're intent on growing truffles in British Columbia. The Vancouver Sun has a nice piece about the fledgling industry (though I wouldn't trust all the "trivia" at the end).
"The Wynes planted 150 inoculated hazelnut trees two years ago and expect to have Perigord truffles in about three years. Like a pregnant woman, the trees are tested along the way. "They were tested at the molecular level to confirm the DNA on the root system was right. It's all in a concerted effort to make sure the industry has a high standard, right from the outset," says Quentin Wyne. He describes the allure and aroma of the Perigord as "somewhat garlicky, somewhat like the smell of freshly burnt soil after rainfall." Others, he says, have different impressions. "You wouldn't want to print those," he says, clamming up."
He's been reading the book. I'll have to introduce the BC crew to Michael Ableman, the US organic pioneer who is now farming in BC. He was a presenter at the IACP conference in Chicago, and we didn't quite get to exchange books - though I do know he's interested in truffles.
.jpg)
