Over the pond our partner Robert Chang has been very busy drumming up awareness of truffle cultivation. He is currently holding truffle growing seminars in Napa Valley, California, with two more scheduled this month.

After the success of our first new growers’ seminar, we decided to make it a recurring event with the last meeting held on 22nd March. With participants from four countries, this last meeting was a huge success and was enjoyed by everyone who attended.

A new report commissioned by the Woodland Trust and written by Harper Adams University highlights the value of tree shelter belts to farmers in combating the effects of drought.

This month we have been very busy collecting and processing annual data from our truffle plantations. Data from sites analysed so far show excellent progress and strong improvement on last year’s results. Looking through the data, there have been a few surprises, such as the prolonged drought conditions in the East of the UK resulting in lower than average tree growth rates but unexpectedly above average truffle-mycorrhiza growth. Growth rates have been good across areas with normal rainfall levels, with our silver-birch trial trees reaching a whopping 2.5m within 3 years!

Far away from the crowded beaches of Spain, our local partner, now in their fourth year, Parkview Management, has just completed their second planting of truffle trees. Large areas of Spain have ideal conditions for the valuable Perigord truffle and we are pleased to see so many trees being planted in this prime area. If you are interested in establishing a plantation in Spain please get in touch oninvest@plantationsystems.com

During March we have seen our first plantation of the year getting underway in France, with has trees inoculated with the Black Winter Truffle. This species thrives in the milder Mediterranean climates and is very valuable; prices reached a whopping €1250 per kilo this month. We also have new plantations in the UK with trees inoculated with the British summer truffle. The Summer Truffle has a broad tolerance of climate and can grow as far north as Sweden, which makes it an ideal species to cultivate.

After the huge success of our first new growers’ seminar, we have decided to make it a recurring event with the next meeting booked for the 22nd of March. It will be held at Bradley Park Golf club, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire.Tickets are available now at £10/ea. The event will be started with a very informative presentation by Dr. Paul Thomas, and then we will have plenty of Q and A time.

What could be the world’s biggest black truffle was sold last month in the south of France. The 1.3kg black Périgord truffle (Tuber melanosporum) went on sale in the farm market of the French south-western town of Sarlat. The massive subterranean fungus is the biggest ever found and sold in Périgord, which is historically the most famous truffle producing region of France. Winter truffles are currently being sold for about 1,000 euro (£828) per kg on southern France farmer’s markets, and we estimate that this one sold for around 1,500 euro.

On 13th of January 2012, the Second Annual Napa Truffle Festival opened to a sold out weekend event. The event was organized by our partners the American Truffle Company. Programs and activities throughout the weekend included culinary/cooking demos, lunches and tours at Raymond Vineyards and Robert Mondavi Winery, a lively Festival Marketplace showcasing local artisanal vendors, and a grand multi-course Truffles & Wine Dinner at La Toque—each course was prepared by a Michelin Star Chef .