Tasmanian Lamb Truffles and Hazelnuts

If the sheep graze in the truffle orchard, will we have truffled lamb?

Truffle Lodge is named after the truffle orchard on the property. It was one of the first truffieres established in Australia.

When we purchased the property, the truffle orchard was a mess. Overgrown with blackberry, weeds and gorse, the orchard had been non-productive and untended for many years.

It took many years to reclaim it. Obviously clearing the overgrowth was a priority, as was reinstating the drainage and establishing working irrigation. Successive years of pruning and shaping the trees, and removing dead and infested wood followed. Finally, the soil had to be addressed, aerating and testing pH levels to promote truffle growth. Then the needs of the hazelnut production from the trees in Autumn, and the needs of truffle production from the roots in winter, had to be balanced.

Through all this, keeping the grass down on an ongoing basis was a continuous chore.

We decided to put few lambs in to help keep the grass down – just a few as too many hooves would compact the soil. And then the lambs would become the Sunday pit fire roasts.

Of course, the question now is: Will the lamb be flavoured with hazelnuts and truffles?