Your say: ARCHIVE
A Fair Go for Plants and Trees
Animal Article
Orchard Article
Vegetable Garden at Buckingham
Foxes Versus Chooks
Some Thoughts on Truffles
Sparkling Rhubarb & Rhubarb Puree
The "real" Mushroom Soup
A Fair Go for Plants and Trees by Robyn Vote
A recent trend on the Buckingham Estate is an influx of new residents who really
Understand the land and how to make the best of our local conditions.
Trevor and Nola Bool moved to the Buckingham Estate around two years ago via
Morisset on the mid north coast of NSW. They originate from Parkesbourne near
Goulburn where Trevor’s family cultivated a large orchard and sheep farm. After retiring and selling the family farm, they moved to Morisset to be near Nola’s
brother, but after his death they decided to move back to familiar territory and chose a 2 acre property on Buckingham Estate.
Anyone walking past their property on Mc Donnell Drive couldn’t help noticing that they
have transformed it. Obviously they must have a magic wand or a secret formula as
everything they have planted has prospered beyond the expectations of us ordinary
mortals. Tube‐stock they have planted has more than quadrupled in size. In the midst of a drought their garden and wind breaks have thrived. I couldn’t wait to meet them in the hope of wheedling out their secret.
Nola claims she is a city girl, but after 20 years at Parkesbourne this is hardly the case.
Trevor’s heritage is strictly local country and on their Buckingham property he takes the
lead, carefully choosing suitable plants and trees and supervising the planting. Trevor swears that there is no magic and that their success is all about preparing the soil to give everything they plant a good start in life.
How do they do it? Trevor emphasises the importance of soil preparation. He digs
square holes which are twice as wide and deep as the plant pot and wider at the base
than at the top, so that the roots are not tempted to spread their roots in circles until they strangle themselves. After digging and sometimes, depending on the type of plant,
mixing well rotted manure with the soil he has removed, he puts it back into the planting hole and leaves it up to 6 months before planting. So forget about those impulse buys. The message is to plan well in advance!
Trevor and Nola have an endless supply of cow manure from a nearby family member’s property, but point out that cow manure isn’t exactly scarce on Buckingham. Cow pats must however be well rotted before being dug into the garden or into planting holes.
Trevor always chooses young, well propagated plants. He reckons that large advanced plants in pots are less likely to transplant well and to subsequently thrive.
After planting the plant is kept moist until it is established. After a period of grace the little plant is provided with a paltry half bucket of water a fortnight.
Trevor knows that our bore water is not ideal for some plants as it contains various salts and minerals. He prefers to use rain water and not a drop is wasted as he catches gutter and tank overflows in barrels and extra tanks.
The results Trevor and Nola have obtained on their property are remarkable. Thanks to their generosity we now share their secret.
Animal Article by Robert Walters
Now that I have introduced my vegetable garden and orchard, it is about time I introduce the animals. All the animals kept on my lot have a purpose as I am very reluctant to keep animals that don’t give some form of return. This year a large proportion of our meat has come from our lot. The economy of raising animals on a small scale for meat is questionable, but in some cases I am well ahead and I know where the product has come from and how it was treated.
Chickens. I have kept chickens now for about fifteen years and they were my first experience in keeping an animal for food purposes. Back then it was eggs, it was much later that I dabbled into using chickens for meat/stock. Chickens to me would have to be the most rewarding of all my animals. They are easy to keep once you have appropriate infrastructure in place and four chickens will keep my family of five in eggs all year round with some surplus. The other prized product from chickens is the manure/compost they make. This is priceless in the garden. Chickens are fantastic entertainment and I believe they have a therapeutic value too. My son had his eleventh birthday party recently with six of his friends from school. I had just finished cooking pizzas in my woodfire oven and had two of the best cooked pizzas sitting on the outside table waiting for the hordes to attack; there was not a boy in sight. They were all glued to a window of a three egg incubator I had set up inside watching the wonderful creation of life as one of the eggs decided to crack open and produce one of the noisiest chicks I have ever heard. The pizzas went cold.
Muscovy Ducks. Ducks are very similar to keeping chickens and have much the same value. The eggs are bigger and I don’t believe are too different from chicken eggs in taste (claimed to be superior in cooking cakes etc). My ducks are primarily kept for meat and visitors have claimed that a home cooked dinner here is the best duck they have ever tasted. They free range the orchard finding a proportion of their own food and keeping the number of garden pests down. If anybody in Buckingham would like to keep Muscovy ducks, I have a number of them for sale at the moment.
Quails and pigeons. These are bred for meat and the first time we tasted pigeon meat it was unanimous that pigeon is far better than quail. I don’t understand why pigeon is not more commonly known as meat. I have found quails to be hopeless mothers and I can only produce them by taking their eggs and using the incubator. Quail eggs are great fun in cooking. Pigeons on the other hand breed like rabbits. Each pigeon will sit on two eggs and have about an 18 day incubation period. As soon as one set of babies are grown and on their own, the mothers will be sitting on another two eggs. Both birds are cheaper to keep.
Wiltshire Lambs. I have had two ewes on my lot for two seasons now. I bought a ram rather than trying to get a loan of one every season. In the first season we had one set of twins and a single lamb, this season we have two sets of twins. They are a laugh to watch playing in the yard and with appropriate fencing make fantastic lawn mowers. All the lambs are raised for meat and are sent to the butcher at around 12 months old. The breed I keep are an old English meat type sheep that don’t need crutching, shearing or tailing. They are flyblown and footrot resistant so they are really a sheep you have when you don’t want the hassle of keeping sheep.
Pigs. We kept two pigs last season (given to us as one day olds). They were a great way to get rid of any garden debris and fallen fruit in the orchard. Their needs are simple and as long as they are well fed and have access to plenty of fresh water, they are happy. Six months later we ended up with a combination of 96kg of pork, ham and bacon. This would have to be the most economical animal we have kept here so far. I had estimated that the total cost of keeping the pigs (food, transfer, travel, butcher etc.) was $500.00. Now that I have a little more experience with pigs, I could do this a lot cheaper now.
Pets. All of our pets do have some form of secondary role, even if it is teaching the children responsibility for keeping their own budgie or gold fish. Patch, our Border collie dog is guardian of sheep, ducks and chickens, security guard and companion. Our cat, now in her fifteenth year still keeps mice away. Two rabbits and a guinea pig are moved around in mobile hutches eating the grass and keeping weeds down. Even our gold fish in the pond keep mosquito numbers down.
Call me Noah, but it can be demonstrated as to what can be produced on a two acre lot. Again, the economics of keeping your own animals is not as cheap as going to the supermarket, but at least we know what we are getting. Apart from the sheep going out onto the agistment area for a couple of months due to very dry conditions, a large proportion of our meat consumption has been produced here on a two acre lot.
Orchard Article by Robert Walters
I thought it fitting being winter to put an article out about my fruit trees. Winter, in my experience, is the
best time to plant them as well as other deciduous ornamental trees. Although potted deciduous pants
and trees can be planted anytime of the year, I have found bare rooted plants and trees planted in the
earlier months of winter out perform.
I have been serious about fruit trees since I arrived in Buckingham four years ago. On arrival, our
property had established fruit trees that were two to three years old: a cherry, mulberry, peach, pear, nectarine, apricot, apple and almond. From the twelve trees that where already here, I soon fenced an orchard area and added another 60 trees over the next three years.
A lot of different fruit trees do well in this climate and all of mine have produced well. I find the choice of
fruit trees is exciting when you live in a cool climate like ours and my choice was a simple question of
what does my family like to eat most? I use this same principle when growing vegetables, why grow
something that no one in the family will eat? My orchard includes six different varieties of peaches, six
different varieties of pears and over a dozen types of apple. It is not that I am out to collect them, but
the choice was deliberate for three reasons:
1.The fruit we like to eat;
2.The requirement for cross pollination (not required for peaches); and
3.Timing for when the fruit matures (early, mid and late season).
Cross pollination is an important consideration when planning a home orchard. Not all fruit requires it,
but the likes of plums, apples and pears do. Without cross pollination from another compatible variety,
you will get no fruit set. In Buckingham there are a lot of fruit trees already established on individual
lots. You could take the chance of planting a single apple tree, for example, and because there are
numerous apple trees already growing on the estate, the chances are your tree will be pollinated. For
more effective pollination the inclusion of a compatible variety on your own lot will give much better
results. There is a good example of a lone apple tree growing on Tarago Road at the front of
Buckingham Estate. It would be over two hundred meters away from the nearest properties (and I'm
not even sure if they have apple trees growing), but the tree was loaded with fruit this year. I would
have picked over 20kg of fruit from it, which in turn was fed to fatten my pigs.
Fruit maturity was another consideration for me and keeping with the theme I'll use apples as an
example. Not all varieties mature at the same time and fruit trees are classed as either being early
season, mid season or late season maturing. My earliest apple this year was Gala and Jonathan which
we were eating from the tree in early February. I picked my last Granny Smith and Pink Lady in May
and June. With fruit maturing at different times of the year, you can have fresh apples for an extended
season/s. With a little bit of planning you can have fresh fruit most of the year. Preserving excess
ensures we have home grown fruit most of the year.
Some of my favourite fruit tree varieties grown here in Mealla Way that perform well are:
Almond All in one.
Apple Pixie Crunch, Golden Delicious and Pink Lady.
Pear William and Nashi.
Peach Anzac (early season) and Golden Queen (late season).
Apricot Moorpark.
Mulberry Hick Fancy.
Quince Champion.
My overall favourite fruit is Pixie Crunch apple; I even have to net it to keep the children away.
Another wonderful highlight when you grow fruit trees is the wonderful blossom they produce in spring.
I love the long lasting apple blossom with its blush of pink, and this to me signifies the true start to
spring. Not all trees blossom at the same time. The first trees to blossom here are the almonds,
followed by the apricots, peaches and cherries. I find cherry trees give a display as well as any
ornamental tree can, but the two trees that always catch my attention are the almond and pear trees.
Almond trees blossom really early in the season and are white and thick. Each year as I inspect the
orchard and walk past the flowering almond trees, I am overwhelmed by its perfume. The scent is so
strong it hits you meters away from the tree. The other sensation is the loud hum of bees that seem to
be attracted to it. I have never seen another tree or plant that attracts as many bees as does the
almond. The pear tree blossoms later than most other fruit varieties and gives the most spectacular
visual display. The white blossom is so thick and bright that it stands out majestically among the other
trees in my orchard. This blossom business, is of course, the promise of future fruit to come.
I'm happy to talk to anyone who is concerned about what needs cross pollination and my experiences with fruit trees in general and I can be contacted at robert.walters@harboursat.com.au.
Vegetable Garden at Buckingham by Robert Walters
I have tried to achieve a lot since arriving on my two acre lot in Buckingham in 2005. I have established an orchard, ornamental gardens and a vegetable patch. I have also raised various live stock including pigs, sheep, ducks, chickens, pigeons and quail (all with the purpose of providing meat for the table). In my first article I would like to share my experiences at Buckingham in my vegetable patch.
I have been growing my own vegetables now for nearly 20 years. Due to the nature of my previous employment, I have been privileged to have gardened in various climates ranging from tropical Darwin, cool climate mountain areas and coastal conditions.
My vegetable garden in Buckingham was started when we arrived here four years ago. I first dug out the turf by hand, dug over the ground, added some manure and compost, and planted my first crops. The soil was a sandy loam that, with the help of continuing drought conditions, was very dry and water repellant. Using a simple test kit from the local nursery, the ph over my property ranged from 5.5 to 6.5. This being an acidic soil (relatively normal around most of Australia), still enabled many vegetables to be grown without adjustment. Vegetables that grow more productive in more neutral to alkaline soil can be adjusted with the addition of lime. I like to use dolomite lime which can be picked up cheaply from the local produce stores. My main vegetable garden is now 45 square meters; a second bed is 18 square meters. The beds are defined by railway sleepers and as I keep free range poultry the garden is fully enclosed with rabbit proof fencing.
Each season the vegetable garden improves with the addition of home made compost and careful crop rotation. When I first established the beds I added as much organic matter I could muster. Pulverised cow manure and mushroom compost are cheaper by the trailer load form local produce stores or the landscape centre. Buying by the bag can be very expensive if you are trying to cover a decent area. Now in its fourth season the vegetable garden now provides most of our vegetables all year round. In particular during the months from December to May where there is no requirement for our family to purchase any vegetables with our groceries.
Water always seems to be an issue on Buckingham, the drought making it an extra challenge. I have overcome this by ensuring that the soil is always being improved and never left exhausted. Mulch is invaluable during the hot months and truly does save a lot of water. I have found the best mulch to use around growing vegetables is Lucerne hay followed by sugar cane mulch. Pea straw is very light and tends to blow around too easily by the wind. By putting cow manure on top of the mulch, I find it holds the mulch down. When you do this, the mulch readily breaks down, feeds the plants and improves the soils moisture retention. The bore water on Buckingham has been unreliable during the dot dry seasons, but it is always welcome to water the vegetable garden. I have found no detriment to any of my gardens using the bore water. I have a 20’000l garden tank that catches the rain from my garage. Rainfall has been limited to fill the tank in the past and during the summer months I have resorted to paying for water to make up the gap between the bore not being on and limited rain fall. At a cost of $170.00 for a 14’000l load, I figured the return I get from my vegetable garden far out ways the cost of the water. Besides, the vegetables from the garden are far superior to any that can are purchased from any shop.
In the past I tended to plant things in long rows and the garden was one massive bed. After the third season here, being conscious of crop rotation, I was struggling to work out where I had planted things in previous years. I have now adopted a five bed, five year crop rotation system to overcome this problem. Each bed is three meters by two meters wide with paths in between. The rest of the garden remains open and is used for growing excess vegetables (the ones we eat a lot of) and perennial vegetables (Jerusalem artichokes, potatoe onions, globe artichokes, shallots etc.).
The bed rotation system can be achieved using four beds, but I’ve added an extra bed specifically for brassicas as we tend to eat a lot of them. (brassicas would normally be included in Bed 1 with the legumes – see details below). An example of the rotation system is set out as follows:
Bed 1 – Legume bed (Peas, beans);
Bed 2 – Brassica bed (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbages);
Bed 3 – Root crop bed (onions, beetroot, carrots, parsnips, garlic);
Bed 4 – Companion Bed (Sweet corn, pumpkins, zucchini, squash); and
Bed 5 – Solanums Bed (tomatoes, capsicum, eggplant, chilli).
At the end of each season the beds rotate one across. Bed 1 becomes the brassica bed; Bed 2 becomes the root crop bed etc. Bed 5 becomes the legume bed. Crop rotation serves two purposes for me. Firstly, it gives me a simple management system of planting and ensuring similar vegetables are not grown in the same spot for at least five seasons. This defeats the chance of deceases and pests building up. Secondly, the system allows the soil in the beds to be continually improved.
The photo below shows the vegetable garden as it stands now (early June 2009) with the following vegetables planted in it.
Bed 1 – Legume (Broad Beans)
Bed 2 – Brassica bed (lettuce, spinach, silver beet, some carrots and parsnips remain from the previous season and will be harvested during the winter months).
Bed 3 – Root crop (onions, garlic, radish).
Bed 4 – Companion Bed (green manure crop for soil improvement prior to summer plantings of corn, pumpkins, zucchinis and squash).
Bed 5 – Solanums (Swedes have been left from previous season, some silver beet is planted during the winter months to feed to chooks and ducks
As the seasons progress I will add to these beds and after the summer/autumn harvest they will rotate.
If anyone is interested in the future development of this rotation system (planting, success, failures etc.), or you have any questions please let us know at robert.walters@harboursat.com.au.
p.s. If anyone in Buckingham is interested in growing Jerusalem artichokes I have plenty to get you started. Winter is a good time to plant them, so if you want some, please contact me using the e-mail address above.
Foxes Versus Chooks by Robert Walters
Foxes are seen as problem around Buckingham, especially for those of us who keep poultry.
I have kept poultry for so long now I really couldn’t imagine my landscape without them (see previous article on my animals).
Apart from the obvious benefit of fresh, wholesome eggs that you can only get from keeping your own poultry, they do provide so much more. I raise ducks and chickens each year for the sole purpose of meat. I free range these poultry in my orchard, some of the chickens free range much further (sorry neighbours), and the end result is chicken and duck meat that has the flavour only our grandparents can remember. I keep them for about six months before dressing them for the table; the meat is darker and much tastier than bought chicken. I have put my family in a position where they do not enjoy bought chicken meat anymore, even the very expensive so called organic, free range chicken that still tastes, in comparison, like watery, tasteless, mush. Note, these so called free range chickens when slaughtered are about 18 weeks old, regular commercial grade chicken meat come from chickens much younger (probably around 8 – 12 weeks old). Another priceless bi-product of keeping poultry is compost. The poultry sheds are lined with straw, sawdust and anything else that is readily available. The chickens get all our kitchen scraps and garden waste is also thrown to them. Periodically I clean out these sheds and the chicken yard to make up to two cubic meters of rich compost each year. This compost is a fertiliser and soil conditioner that is second to none (you just can’t buy it).
One personal aspect that also makes it worth the effort of keeping poultry is the endless entertainment, enjoyment and company they give. I have one hen called Crookshanks; she was hatch inside using an incubator and has imprinted me as her parent or something. Crookshanks follows me around the yard where ever I am, pecks at the window when I’m indoors and will keep this up until I throw her a piece of bread. I have to be very careful in the garden when Crookshanks is around, especially when I’m swinging a hoe or using a shovel. Crookshanks is right under my feet and has no fear about putting her head down the hole I’ve just dug looking to see what sort of goodies I’ve retrieving for her. Crookshanks lays an egg on our veranda each day and possibly because she is so spoilt, her eggs are far superior to any of the other eggs we collect. It is a real race at our house to get Crookshanks egg first.
Keeping poultry is not always fresh cream and sunshine. Like with all livestock, things can and do go wrong. One of these things is the dreaded fox. I will admit that I do lose birds to foxes. This is expected when free ranging birds and even though they are locked up at night, they can still be taken during the day or when they are left out too long after dusk. The number one deterrent for foxes is sound accommodation. Chook pen fencing should be dug into the ground (foxes are excellent at digging), wire mesh should also cover the open area of the chook run as foxes are also excellent climbers. For added security the chicken’s accommodation should also have an open and closing door to allow them in and out and be secured at night.
If you want to free range your poultry there are other measures you can take. Foxes hate the presence/smell of humans and dogs. If you kennel your dog outside, consider putting the kennel next to the poultry shed. No fox in their right mind is going to come anywhere near your poultry when your dog is there (even a little dog). I find my poultry is relatively secure because of the presence of neighbouring dogs and my own. Spreading the scent of human around the yard will also deter foxes. You can do this by employing the ‘lemon tree trick’. Urine (your own) strategically spread around the outside of the poultry area will help keep foxes away. This is a well kept secret, but maybe too many people are too embarrassed to mention it. If you are not comfortable going down the urine track, visit your local hair dresser and ask for a bag of cut hair. Hanging a handful in stockings and tying it around the perimeter fence, this will also deter foxes.
These are some measures to consider when deterring foxes away from your prized poultry. The best prevention is vigilance. Don’t give foxes a chance by leaving poultry out/insecure at night or if you are going to be away during the day. Poultry are happy being locked away from time to time if it means they are safe, and they will really appreciate the times they can get out and frolic. I’m sure there are other methods of deterring foxes and I would appreciate any further advice.
My two favourite books on poultry are ‘The Chook Book – Jackie French’, and ‘A Guide to Keeping Poultry in Australia – Dorothy Reading’.
Robert Walters,
9 September 2010
Some Thoughts on Truffles - By John Spriggs
1.
Situation
a. In Europe truffles grow naturally on gritty, open‐textured, calcareous soils between 40oN and 47oN where annual rainfall is between 600 and 1500mm. Mean daily summer temperature range is 16.5oC to 22oC and mean daily winter temperature is 2oC to 8oC.
b. We are a little out of the ideal latitude range but this doesn’t seem to be a problem as there are other growers nearby who have successfully grown truffles.
c. With regard to the soil ‐ it has good drainage (oak trees are highly susceptible to water logging) but is too acidic – we would need to do soil tests and should expect to have to add significant lime in the first year with top‐ups every 3 years. pH needs to be in the range 7.5 to 8.0
d. With regard to rainfall we are at the lower end of what is needed and there is considerable uncertainty (i.e. we are drought prone). This means we would need to have access to supplementary water – irrigation (at least 0.5 mega litres/ha/year). This is needed especially in the first 3 years to get trees established and to assist good mycorrhizal establishment.
e. Probably would need a fence to keep out the kangaroos.
2.
As a result of this situation the main setup costs are about $24,000 per ha (according to Wayne Haslam). These include:
a. Buying trees (about $25 each x 400 trees/ha = $10000)
b. Adding lime (and fertilizer) to the soil ($4,000/ha)
c. Installing irrigation ($4,000)
d. Installing vermin fence ($4,000)
e. Other costs including planting, soil preparation ($2,000)
3. The ongoing costs would appear to be about $7,000 in present value terms which consist of:
a. repairs and maintenance ‐ mowing, spraying, repairs to irrigation equipment. etc ($1,500)
b. Irrigation ‐ cost of water (?)
c. Lime top‐up ‐ $500 every 3 years
d. Harvesting ‐ $5,000 in present value terms (after year 6) – this includes $2400 overhead cost plus $65/kg with assumption of yield of 0.1 kg/tree
4.
The returns appear quite risky – the returns depend on variable yield and variable price:
a. Yield – should not expect significant yields until year 7. Wayne H is now in his 6th year with his 2 ha of 800 truffle trees. He is optimistic and expects yields to grow exponentially tapering off at around 40 kg/ha – but doesn’t really know. His yield history has been:
i. Year 4 – 1 kg
ii. Year 5 – 5 kg
iii. Year 6 – harvest to occur June‐July
b. Price – this has been pretty good so far (around $1500/kg). It is anybody’s guess as to what will happen in the future. I do know that with such high returns, supply response has been dramatic and I expect will continue to be very strong. There are currently 80 growers in NSW alone and they are popping up everywhere. Much of the supply has not come on stream yet as there is a biological lag time of about 6 years between the decisions to go into production and when harvest occurs. Many growers have gone into the business in the last 3 years (and there are some large investment schemes) so I expect supplies will start to come on stream in another 3 years and prices will start to fall. On the other side of the ledger is demand. This is currently strong (especially in France and is growing in Japan and Korea). But the strength of current demand is already reflected in the current prices. What happens to price in the future depends on how fast demand increases relative to what seems to be an explosion in supply. My guess is demand will grow much slower than supply and prices will fall in the medium term. But how far and how fast is anybody’s guess. I have seen this phenomenon happen before with other crops (e.g. vanilla) where the price has dropped by over half in a matter of a couple of years. However, I’m not an expert in truffles and more market research is needed.
5.
Conclusion
a. From an agronomic perspective, the water situation could be problematic. We would need to have supplementary water (irrigation water of 0.5 mega litres/ha) and this might pose a significant burden on Buckingham’s bore (water supply).
b. From a marketing perspective, I am somewhat sceptical about going into this with the idea of making a lot of money. There is good money to be made now by the early adopters. But my guess is that by the time we start producing there will be an oversupply and a market correction and prices will be significantly less than current (perhaps we would be looking at $750/kg rather than $1500/kg).
c. If we are to go into this venture, I suggest it only be on a pilot basis – say 50 trees on half an acre to test out the agronomics and see how well we become as managers of the crop – because in the long run, my guess is there will only be profitable returns for the good managers who can produce a high quality product. (John Spriggs 18 May 2009)
Buckingham Community Association
Report of Special Meeting on Truffle Growing on the Buckingham Estate
On 2 May 2009, the first in what is intended as a series of community meetings was held in the Community Hall to consider ideas for the sustainable development and improved amenity of the common land on Buckingham Estate. Wayne Haslam, President of the Australian Truffle Growers Association, talked to community members about truffle growing in this region. He owns Blue Frog Truffle Farm in Sutton.
Prior to the meeting, Mr Haslam met with some members of the Land Management Group to look at a proposed site on the south side of McDonnell Drive. This site was identified as a possible one for truffle growing because it has a small dam on it and is presently unused by stock. Mr Haslam said that if the community were interested in growing truffles we would need to clear approximately one hectare in the first instance and improve the soil with lime to bring the ph. up to approximately 7.5 – 8.0. There are various opinions about the P.H of our soil, with present data indicating an average of 6.5 for the whole estate, however the soil P.H varies across the land and this particular site would have to be soil tested. Our bore water apparently has alkaline salts rather than saline salts, which would suit truffles, but more research is necessary. Our climate is suitable – temperature and average rainfall – but the site still would have to be drought-proofed in some way with an average drip irrigation of 0.5 mega-litres per year. Optimal rainfall for the fruiting of Truffles was from October to December, which fits our rainfall pattern in an average year. Maintenance would include protecting young trees from hares by using tree guards, spraying (initially Zero-type weed killer) for weed and grass between trees without interfering with the Truffle fruiting in the roots of oaks, holly oaks or hazelnuts (these trees are purchased with the fungus already present in the roots).
At the meeting, Mr Haslam outlined the history of truffle growing in Europe and Australia, including the need for a Truffle Growers Association, which at the moment intended to link growers in the Capital Country (Southern) Region and stimulate the growth of cooperatives. A Truffle Festival is proposed for the 20 and 21 June to showcase produce of Capital Country Growers. Truffles are presently an export market, as Australian chefs need to be educated about serving, storing and buying truffles. Pictures were shown of truffles and handouts provided (Australian Black Truffles - A Guide to Chefs and Welcome to the world of the Australian Truffle Growers Association, Inc., established in late 2006). As truffles lose moisture and therefore aroma very quickly, the present target is export within 48 hours of harvest. The flavour and aroma of truffles is nearly impossible to describe but once tasted never forgotten – and you only need thin shavings on eggs, pasta, potatoes, risotto, quail etc, because the glutamic acid in the truffle binds with fats and acts as a flavour enhancer. Truffles cost $2,000.00 per kilogram, and therefore a harvest of 60 kilos may yield a gross profit of $120,000 per annum. (However, it should be noted that this is based on most trees producing optimal truffles for any one year). Pigs may be used in harvesting, usually in late May, but because the truffle odour is like the pheromones of boars, you have to muzzle the pig to prevent it from eating the truffle! Dogs are used instead in Australia, often hired from local trainers for the harvest.
Truffle trees cost between $20.00 and $25.00and about 400 trees could be planted in one hectare. Trees are English oak, holly oak and hazelnut. They are usually planted in rows in ratios of 1 oak to 3 hazelnuts. Poplars are only used for white truffles, but there is insufficient research about optimal growing conditions for them. Growers often prefer English oaks because they don’t sucker or require pruning. In terms of preparing the soil, planting and laying down drip irrigation, growing, maintaining, harvesting and marketing truffles, Mr Haslam often hires in equipment and labour (including truffle dogs ) finding this to be more cost effective than personally investing in such infrastructure . However, in a community such as ours, if there were a dedicated and interested team of residents planting, irrigating as well as maintenance could be done by community members. It was suggested that borrowing or hiring equipment and labour for soil preparation would still be a better proposition than outlaying capital, especially as residents may not have sufficient free time, dedication or equipment to properly prepare the site.
In response to questions, Mr Haslam said that if we wanted to proceed, the Buckingham Community would be counted as a single entity within the Australian Truffle Growers Association. He said that the Association wasn’t involved in marketing/export at present. However, it was noted that there were residents who had marketing and farm business backgrounds, as well as in horticulture and environmental impact. We also have a French chef and his partner who have research data and are experienced in truffle growing and promoting the use of truffles in local restaurants. The ANU and CSIRO are assisting with research into truffle growing and the Federal and State governments are acknowledging the Association as an official lobby group.
After the meeting, residents had refreshments and talked individually with Mr Haslam. Small groups had lively discussions about the pros and cons of truffle growing on Buckingham. It was generally agreed that the Land Management Group should form a sub-committee of interested residents to undertake a feasibility study and business plan. The Truffle sub-committee (T s-c) would report to the Buckingham Estate Executive and the AGM. Apart from doing a soil test for P.H on the actual site and a current bore water analysis, legal aspects connected with our strata title would have to be investigated. Other issues include food security, incentives, profit sharing and the rules governing using the sinking fund for land improvement, as distinct from maintenance of infrastructure. This sub-committee would report to the next AGM. (Note: Leone-Ruth Akland agreed to be the provisional team leader of the 2009 Land Management Group, which will meet sometime in the next week.)
Any resident who was not able to attend the community meeting , or who attended but hasn’t yet indicated an interest and would like to be involved in the Truffle sub-committee should contact Barbara Chambers (provisional team leader) Other residents who have already expressed an interest include Christophe and Josephine Gregoire, Rob Walters, Craig Robins, David Gibson and John Spriggs. Mike McColl is an ex-officio member of the Land Management Group and its sub-committees of special interest.
It should be emphasised that there is no commitment to proceed with truffle growing; there is however a commitment to explore the benefits and costs of doing so.
Barbara Chambers (co-chair of special meeting on Truffle growing on the Buckingham Estate) 3 May 2009
Truffle Sub‐Committee
Of the
Buckingham Community Association
Recommendations to Buckingham Executive
The Truffle sub‐committee request the in principle support of the Executive at the next AGM for the following.
1. The establishment of a community‐based mixed Hobby Farm on the unused paddock (approximately 1.8 hectares) next to the southern side of McDonnell Drive.
2. Growing between 50 – 100 truffle trees on ½ hectare on the lower (road side) end of the proposed site, where the trees would be purchased through community donation at approximately $25.00 per tree.
3. Financial support from the 2009/2010 budget for growing truffles of approximately $4,000.00 start‐up costs and $1,000.00 per annum for maintenance in subsequent budgets with the provision that profit from the sale of truffles, not envisaged for four or five years, will be used to off‐set investment costs and any additional profits will be for the benefit of the Buckingham community.
If the Executive supports 1, 2 and 3 as specified above, then these recommendations should be placed on the agenda of the next AGM for consideration of Buckingham residents.
Barbara Chambers (Provisional Group Leader) 11 July 2009
Sparkling Rhubarb - From Robert Walters "A Year in a Bottle" by Sally Wise
This is a fantastic way to use that rhubarb that sits unused down the bottom of your garden. Very refreshing on hot days. It is also known as Rhubarb Fizz, but I see it as a Rhubarb lemonade (it is non alcoholic).You just have to trust the recipe, it really does work.
875g rhubarb, chopped
875g sugar
1 lemon, chopped
200ml white wine vinegar or cider vinegar
18 cups cold water
Combine rhubarb, sugar, lemon, vinegar and water in a food-safe bucket, cover loosely with a clean tea towel and leave for 48 hours. Strain and pour into very clean plastic bottles (recycled lemonade/coke bottles) and seal. The sparkling rhubarb will be ready in 10 to 14 days. Chill well before serving.
Warning: Do not shake bottles before opening (you will regret it) and when you do open them, do so carefully. If there is any funny growths, discard the bottle.
Rhubarb Puree – Kitchen Garden Companion by Stephanie Alexander
This is also another good versatile way to use up rhubarb. It will last a week in the fridge once you have made it.
350g rhubarb stalks, washed and trimmed, leaves discarded
2-3 tablespoons white, raw or soft brown sugar
1/3 cup cold water
1 rose-scented geranium leaf (I have used lime scented geranium also good, or you could leave it out)
½ teaspoon rosewater (optional)
Slit each rhubarb stalk in half lengthways, then cut widthways into 3cm long pieces. Place rhubarb, sugar, water, and geranium leaf in a stainless steel saucepan. Bring to simmering point over medium heat, stirring. Cover and cook for 6-8 minutes. Check after 6 minutes as rhubarb will start to stick once it has collapsed and cooked as there will be so little liquid. Transfer rhubarb to a bowl and remove geranium leaf, then add rosewater, if using. Leave to cool and use as desired. You can process it in a food processor if you want it smoother. Use it on you cereal, on top of ice cream, added to other fruit to make crumble, or folded into an equal quantity of whipped cream to become rhubarb fool.
The Real Mushroom Soup by Barbara Z
A delicious entre, when you are in a hurry!
We had an unexpected visitor from interstate yesterday, and as always, Jamie Oliver did not let me down. I was looking for a fast, easy, entre for a cold winter’s night and preferably one made from ingredients I had on hand. Jamie’s recipe called for dried porcini, fresh wild mushrooms (chanterelles, girolles, trompettes de mort, shitake, oyster) and truffle oil. Of course I did not have these ingredients in the house, but I did have substitutes, and the soup was fabulous!
Thanks to the fresh thyme and flat leaf parsley from my vegie patch, and the teeny weenie lemon on a tiny tree I have growing in a pot on the veranda.
Ingredients:
600g fresh mushrooms, sliced ‐ I always peel my mushrooms
Olive oil – a couple of lugs
2 cloves garlic finely sliced
1 red onion finely chopped
A knob of butter
A handful of fresh thyme
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
1 litre vegetable stock
A handful of fresh flat leaf parsley
2 tablespoons of mascarpone chees
1 lemon (I just used the rind of my only teeny tiny lemon – it was yuum!)
Optional: truffle oil
Stir the fresh mushrooms and olive oil in a large pot. Ad the garlic, onion, butter and thyme and a small amount of seasoning. Cook for about 20 mins until most of the moisture disappears, season to taste then ad the stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 20 mins. Whizz it to a pure, allowing a few mushrooms to stay. Add the parsley and mascarpone and season again to taste. Place in bowl and grate some lemon rind over the top, before serving.
