News Release

EUROPEAN TRUFFLE EXPERTS HELP AMERICAN FARMERS CULTIVATE THE ULTIMATE DELICACY FOOD
November 18, 2009
EUGENE, Ore.--- Renowned French truffle researcher and fifth generation truffle farmer, Dr. Pierre Sourzat, and prominent Spanish truffle researchers Dr. Carlos Colinas and Christine Fischer will lead two-day seminars for American truffle growers as part of the fifth annual Oregon Truffle Festival, to be held in Eugene Jan. 29 through Jan. 31, 2010.

Traveling from Europe to share their expertise with American farmers, Sourzat, Colinas and Fischer bring a wealth of experience in coaxing the world’s ultimate delicacy food from farmland soil. The three will lead the Truffle Cultivation Seminar and Truffle Growers’ Forum along with American experts and specialists as highlights of the Festival.

The Festival’s educational seminars also include a first of its kind Truffle Dog Training Seminar, where attendees will introduce their dogs to the aroma of truffles and then give them the authentic experience of hunting Oregon’s native truffles in their natural habitat.

Truffles, the hidden delicacy food traditionally harvested by trained pigs and dogs were, until recently, found only in the woods of southern Europe. The ability to cultivate truffles in orchards of artificially inoculated trees has led to the production of the prized French black truffles in U.S. soil. “With seven truffle orchards in production around the country, and dozens more about to reach producing age, an American truffle industry is about to be born, following in the footsteps of the American wine industry,” said Dr. Charles Lefevre, American truffle cultivation expert and Oregon Truffle Festival organizer.

As this industry flourishes, the Oregon Truffle Festival’s educational seminars fill an essential need for American truffle growers: making available to Americans the centuries of lore and scientific research that have previously been known only in Europe.

Oregon plays a key role in the growing international truffle industry, through both the focal point provided by the Oregon Truffle Festival, and through decades of research on truffles at Oregon State University. Many of the world’s most successful truffle researchers and farmers received their graduate and postdoctoral training at OSU, including Dr. Carlos Colinas and Christine Fischer, now returning to Oregon to teach in the Festival Seminars.

The European guests will be on hand for the entire festival, celebrating truffles from the Old World of France and the New World of Oregon. Registration is now open for Oregon Truffle Festival weekend experiences and the Grand Truffle Dinner. Six weekend and several stand-alone options are available, variously including cooking classes, winery luncheons, truffle forays, farm tours and multi-course truffle dinners, in addition to the educational seminars. All options may be purchased online.

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