2012Conference_Progr.. - Australian Truffle Growers Association

2012 Conference Program
August 17, 18 and 19
Daylesford Town Hall
74 Vincent Street
Daylesford Victoria
Program
Friday 17 th August
Truffle Dog Training Master Class
Simon Harvey
Truffle Grading Workshop
Colin and Sue Roberts
10.30 am to 12.30 pm
1.00 pm to 3.00 pm
$80 per person, members
only.
$90 per person, members
only.
Informal Meal 6.00 til late Old Hepburn Hotel
Both workshops will be held at the Korweinguboora Recreation Reserve, 1699 Ballan Daylesford Road,
Spargo Creek, 3461.
A bus will leave the Daylesford Town hall at 12.30 pm , returning at 3.30 pm. Korweinguboora is about
15 minutes from Daylesford.
On Friday evening, we will have an get together and dinner at the ‘OLD HEPBURN HOTEL, 236 Main Rd,
Hepburn Springs Vic 3461. See www.oldhepburnhotel.com.au . Hepburn Springs is about 5 kilometres
from Daylesford. The hotel will have live music and their standard pub food. A courtesy bus is available
for those without cars or not wanting to drive from Daylesford to the hotel and return, and we will
develop a bus timetable closer to the event.
The conference cost is $80 per person per day for members, and $120 for non‐members. The workshops
listed above are $90 for the grading course, and $80 for the dog training masterclass, and are available
only to members of the Association. Bookings and payment for the conference and workshops can only
be made online at www.trufflegrowers.com.au , and go to ‘The Association’ tab, then the ‘Join Us’ tab to
login and follow the prompts.
The grading workshop is intended for those members who have achieved, or are nearing their first
harvest, and will provide experience with handling truffle, assessing ripeness, grading, and preparing for
sale. Grading is a key component of ensuring the quality of our product, and in providing a consistent
consumer experience for our customers. It is being run again this year by Al Blakers, MD of Manjimup
Truffles, and one of Australia’s leading producers.
Simon Harvey is running the Dog Handling Masterclass, a first time event. Simon is a truffle dog trainer
and harvester from Tasmania, and has extensive experience with dog training and handling with the
military and civil authorities. Participants are welcome to bring their dogs to this workshop.

Program
Saturday 18 th August
Registration desk opens 8 am 8.00 am
Welcome and Opening 9.00 9.00 Graham Duell
2012 AGM Presidents Report Graham Duell
Treasurers Report
Richard Austen
Election of Officers
Other Matters
Morning Tea 10.30
11.00 Marketing Mark Paterson
11.45 Grower Cooperatives John Tannoch
Lunch 12.30
Truffle Marketing Initiatives 1.30 Canberra Truffle Festival Fred Harden
1.45 Madame Truffle Simon McCrudden
Bernadette Jenner
2.00 Secret Truffle Society Andres Haas
2.15 NSW Cooperative Col Roberts
2.30 Wine and Truffle Sales Update Shane Styles
Afternoon Tea 3.00
Truffle Research Updates 3.30 DNA Research Celeste Linde, ANU
3.40 Tree Certification Celeste Linde/Colin
Carter
3.55 E Nose Prof Gary Lee
4.10 Proteome Research Prof Mark Baker
4.30 Spanish Wells Graham Duell
Close 4.45
Annual Truffle Dinner 6.15 Buses depart Hall for Sault
Restaurant
After Dinner Speaker
Alf Salter, Chairman,
Wine and Truffle
Company
The dinner is at Sault, a delightful restaurant a few kilometres outside Daylesford. Bookings for the
dinner must be made directly with the restaurant at www.sault.com.au , or by calling at 03 5348 6555.
Bookings are limited to 100 places so be quick!
The cost per person is $115, and this includes a welcoming drink and a 4‐course truffle themed meal.
Wines and other drinks are available from the bar at standard bar prices. The menu will be prepared
by Sault later in the season when available produce is known.
Courtesy buses will run from the Daylesford Town Hall to the restaurant and return, departing the hall
at 6.15 pm

Program
Sunday 19 th August 9.00 Bus departs Hall for
Brigalani Truffiere
9.15 Truffiere walk and truffle
hunt
10.45 Return to Daylesford Hall
Morning Tea 11.00
Sue and Sharon Daly
11.30 An Industry Perspective Dr. Peter Stahle
12.00 Truffle Growing in a
Variable Climate
Catherine Ganter
Climatologist, BOM
Lunch 12.30
1.30 Which Truffle? Colin Carter
2.00 Where to from Here? Panel Discussion
Afternoon Tea and Close 3.00
Notes on some of the speakers:
Mark Paterson is Principal of Currie Communications. Mark has extensive experience in development of
strategic marketing plans, which is relevant to the current position of the Australian Truffle Industry. See
www.curriecommunications.com.au
John Tannoch is Chairman of Natures Fruit Company, a Queensland Growers Cooperative providing a
range of fresh fruits to local and export markets.
Dr Peter Stahle
Peter's interest in truffles and mushrooms commenced when as an academic and then Research
Scientist he studied botany at La Trobe University and mingled with Mycologists at the Plant Research
Institute, Burnley. For the past 22 years as a Management Consultant and Executive Coach he has
continued to work with the food industry, Australian agricultural, and directly in the marketing of
truffles. He wrote the original economic evaluation of establishing a truffle industry in Australia in 1996
and now has an established truffiere in Central Victoria.
Simon McCrudden and Bernadette Jenner established ‘Madame Truffle’, a unique truffle retail outlet in
Melbourne in 2011. They will be updating us on their experiences in retailing truffles, and in dealing with
truffle producers around Australia. See www.madametruffles.com.au