California’s truffle industry could be poised for growth if top hunter helps find path

Before the coronavirus pandemic struck in force, Staci O’Toole, the self-styled “Truffle Huntress” of Placerville, stood front of the bar at a packed Magpie Café in Sacramento. She easily commanded the attention of the crowd. Her long, straight mane was tawny, her outfit was tawny. Heck, even her dog (a truffle-sniffing hound named Mila) was tawny.

She noted the evening’s truffle-themed dinner was a “dream come true,” and told the story of how she, a retired insurance-industry executive with a passing interest in science, became a truffle rancher. It’s a story that has been well-detailed, in the pages of The Bee and other publications as local as Sacramento Magazine and as far-flung as The Guardian.

O’Toole had it down to a polished patter which garnered frequent laughs, and then wrapped up at just the right time, as the appetizer was served for the sold-out dinner. After putting the pup in the car, she returned to tuck in to the first course – a classic fried egg and truffle combination, on a bed of frisee and tarragon.

Her dining companion is a tall scientist with a gentle demeanor, Scott Oneto. Although he didn’t command the attention of this room, his work could be key to whether truffle cultivation becomes big business in local farming, or just a flash in the (frying) pan.

Oneto, a sixth generation California farmer with a background in weed science, had to be coaxed into the project, according to O’Toole. Oneto said after a few years of requests, it took a much-needed sabbatical, at which he could “really dive into research” to catch him at the perfect point to start their (hopefully) fruitful collaboration.

An Aggie through-and-through, Oneto got both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at UC Davis, and works for Agriculture and Natural Resources. ANR is an unsung arm of the University of California, with the mission to bring the latest in agricultural science to the California community. Oneto not only bridges the gap to farmers by translating academic science research into in-person workshops and handouts, he also tailors research to local needs.

“When I have a farmer or rancher who is presented with problems, whether it be a new pest, weed, pathogen, or the effects of climate change, we help them solve those problems so they can continue to be successful in agriculture,” Oneto said.

The big problem with truffle cultivation: No one knows if it is possible on more than a boutique scale in the Golden State; Oneto parsed the literature and found it to have a “lot of unknowns as far as California systems.” To that end, since late spring of last year, Oneto and O’Toole have devoted over a quarter of her truffle orchard to four different conditions, with varying levels or moisture, shade, pH (truffles seem to prefer it slightly basic) and soil amendment.

Fortuitously, a stand of hazelnut trees on this acreage were planted, pre-inoculated with truffle mycelium, over a decade ago by the former ranch owner. Same age, same type of tree, same general condition: a perfect starting point for scientific investigation.

O’Toole is keeping close track of the truffles nosed out by Mila, collecting data “down to the tree level” according to Oneto. Due to the late start last year in manipulating the growing condition of these Perigords, which are winter truffles, they don’t expect to see the results this year. That will have to wait until next season, or the one after, at which point Oneto hopes to publish in a peer-reviewed journal.

The majority of the prized and pricy tuber melanosporum, the proper Latin name for Perigords, are still found in Europe, mostly Spain and France, but other producers are trying to nose in, including the well-heeled folks at the Kendall-Jackson winery in Sonoma County, who harvested their first truffles in 2017. Can the foothills and wine country become a global fungal contender?

Ever the careful scientist, Oneto is cautiously optimistic. “Whether this will be the next big commodity in California? I would love to say yes, but that goes with a lot of hesitancy and uncertainty. There’s a ton of things we need to figure out to make this industry successful.”

If an industry could be built on enthusiasm and charisma, truffles would soon displace tomatoes as the area’s top crop. O’Toole is tireless in her boosting, whether it’s hosting truffle hunts over prickly pear mimosas and truffle-and-cheese stuffed focaccia at her ranch, or calling attention to the planned fall meeting of the still-small North American Truffle Growers Association. (Website: https://trufflegrowers.com/)

Oneto praises her for the energy she brings saying, “So many farmers are fairly shy when it comes to speaking to the media…Staci is the exact opposite of that. If there is an opportunity to talk about truffles she will be at the front of that line. That is exactly what our niche market industries [like truffles] need … she has done a phenomenal job.”

This story was originally published April 1, 2020 at 9:46 AM.