This month we were contacted by the world renowned programme Marsterchef, they were looking for some indigenous Irish truffles to be used on the Irish version of the TV series. We supplied them with native British summer truffles (Tuber aestivum/unicatum) and they didn’t disappoint.

October has now been set as the month that we’ll be running this years truffle cultivation seminar. The event will be aimed at everyone and anyone who has an interest in truffles and truffle cultivation. The day will consist of presentations covering all aspects of truffle growing, lunch and the rest of the day to ask any questions that you might have. We are planning to hold the event at a central UK location, in mid October. The seminar is likely to be quite popular and if you would like to reserve a place, please do get in contact.

Native woods and trees offer a huge range of benefits to farmers, including shelter for crops and livestock and summer shade important for both animal welfare and productivity. And now, with rising energy costs, more and more people are planning to plant wood for fuel. Home-grown firewood can be available within 10 to 15 years of planting, with annual sustainable supplies to heat the farmhouse thereafter. Managed harvesting of wood can also be compatible with truffle cultivation.

We have just received our first batch of Summer Truffles of the season and are pleased to report that they are of exceptional quality and very reasonably priced at £16 per 100g, since it is the beginning of the season. If you would like to try some UK summer truffles please contact us as soon as possible.  Truffles have a very short shelf life so must be ordered quickly to be enjoyed in premium condition.

Last month we had the pleasure of harvesting Desert Truffles in North Africa. The desert truffles are not so aromatic or tasty as European truffles but are still good to eat. There are more than 30 different species of Desert Truffle, and they all (as the name suggests) grow in the hot, dry regions around the Mediterranean, from Southern Spain through North Africa, to the Middle East and Turkey. The traditional way of finding these knobbly, pale, whitish-brown truffles, is by hitting the ground with a stick, to see where there is resistance. Nowadays the

The generous £9,000/Ha grant is now available again for tree planting in Wales. For all landowners and farmers in Wales, this is a great opportunity to plant truffle trees with generous grant support. We can work with the grant body and tailor our planting plans so that you receive the highest income possible. Even better, the system allows no loss of Single Farm Payment for those who turnover land to trees. These grants are available now and there is no need to be in the Glastir All Wales scheme, or the targeted element of Glastir.

This week we are presenting our latest research at IWEMM6 in Rabat, Morocco. The International Workshop on Edible Mycorrrhizal Mushrooms (IWEMM) is an important scientific conference held every two years.

This March is going to be a busy month for everyone at MSL. Over the next few weeks we are preparing to plant new plantations across Europe from Scotland to Romania. The majority of these plantations will produce the summer truffle, which has a broad tolerance of climate and grows well in areas of Europe with cool winters. Our annual checks are all scheduled and as always we will keep you updated with how all our plantations are progressing. This is an exciting year for us, especially as a favourite Welsh site may be coming into production, so watch this space.

Unfortunately the winter truffle had had a tough time of it lately. This season’s cold weather and heavy frosts means that much of the harvest has reportedly been lost or damaged. The cold weather is resulting in a higher number of smaller and frost damaged truffles. Fortunately, only some production areas have been hit and the problem is greatest in wild sites rather than well managed plantations.