Ep. 106: Truffle Hunting, Raising a Truffle Dog & Managing Truffle Forests (feat. Melissa Waddingham)

by Mushroom Hour

Today on the Mushroom Hour Podcast we are graced by the presence of Melissa Waddingham founder of Truffle and Mushroom Hunter. As a professional truffle hunter, Melissa respectfully and sustainably searches for truffles with her trained canine companions. She has studied forestry and woodland management and exudes a passion for woodlands and their association with mushrooms and truffles. Her work has given her a reverence for the delicate truffle woodland ecology and its sustainability. It is a rare environment crucial for not only her beloved truffles, but also the well-being of trees in areas of poor nutrients. In pursuing this work, Melissa has created a mushroom and truffle foraging business where she does it all - training truffle hounds, leading truffle hunting courses, performing woodland surveys in search of truffle presence or potential and collaborating with landowners to nurture environments for truffle cultivation.   

TOPICS COVERED:   

  • Introduction to Fungi Through the Stomach  
  • Discovering Truffles  
  • Truffle Habitat - England vs Portugal  
  • Truffle Clues & Aromas  
  • Engaging the Senses  
  • Ecology & Life of Truffles  
  • Special Relationship with a Truffle Dog  
  • What Types of Dogs can Hunt Truffles?  
  • Traits of Good Truffle Dogs  
  • Training a Truffle Dog  
  • Learning the Language of Your Truffle Dog  
  • Advice for Beginning the Truffle Hunting Journey  
  • Surveying Forests for Truffles  
  • Truffle Cultivation Industry  

EPISODE RESOURCES:   

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