Getz shows a white truffle he and his dog Chloe found while hunting.

 Umami Truffle Dogs Working to Restore Oregon’s Truffle Reputation Truffle Dogs Sniff Out The Good Stuff

By Gabrielle Kesler and Megan Johnson

John Getz has had a busy weekend. He has been working with his company, Umami Truffle Dogs, to help lead dog training sessions and truffle hunts for those attending the annual Oregon Truffle Festival in Eugene. Getz is exhausted but pleased with how successful the weekend has proved to be. The day before he, along with his partner Kris Jacobson, participated in leading several busloads of festival attendants from all over the world on truffle hunts using trained dogs of various breeds.

Getz is a mushroom harvester working in the Pacific Northwest. What started as a hobby almost 37 years ago has become a full time business as the truffle market in Oregon has gained in popularity and credibility. Umami Truffle Dogs, which was started by Kris Jacobson, who later invited Getz to partner with her, is one of the first of its kind. So what exactly does their company do? According to their website “Umami Truffle Dogs, LLC specializes in harvesting wild culinary truffles of the Pacific Northwest.” They currently have “four expert truffle dog teams working throughout the Pacific Coast and Willamette Valley regions of Oregon.”

Truffles are not typically something one would associate with Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. They are more commonly linked with areas of France and Italy. They are considered a rare delicacy in fine dining and have even become known as the “most expensive food in the world.” However, according to Getz, “Truffles deserve to be one of Oregon’s crown jewels.”

In the past, Oregon’s truffle market suffered due to over harvesting. The truffles being gathered and sold were often immature or becoming rotten, and the market lost much of its credibility because of this. Fortunately, people like Getz are working to restore its reputation, and the use of highly trained dogs to locate only the perfectly ripe truffles has played a major role in this.

 

John Getz has been harvesting truffles for the last 13 years.

Getz is a mushroom harvester working in the Pacific Northwest. What started as a hobby almost 37 years ago has become a full time business as the truffle market in Oregon has gained in popularity and credibility. Umami Truffle Dogs, which was started by Kris Jacobson, who later invited Getz to partner with her, is one of the first of its kind. So what exactly does their company do? According to their website “Umami Truffle Dogs, LLC specializes in harvesting wild culinary truffles of the Pacific Northwest.” They currently have “four expert truffle dog teams working throughout the Pacific Coast and Willamette Valley regions of Oregon.”

Truffles are not typically something one would associate with Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. They are more commonly linked with areas of France and Italy. They are considered a rare delicacy in fine dining and have even become known as the “most expensive food in the world.” However, according to Getz, “Truffles deserve to be one of Oregon’s crown jewels.”

In the past, Oregon’s truffle market suffered due to over harvesting. The truffles being gathered and sold were often immature or becoming rotten, and the market lost much of its credibility because of this. Fortunately, people like Getz are working to restore its reputation, and the use of highly trained dogs to locate only the perfectly ripe truffles has played a major role in this.

Getz first became interested in truffles about thirteen years ago after spending many years previously harvesting matsutakes and other wild mushrooms native to the Pacific Northwest. Shortly after he decided to train his first dog and immediately fell in love with the process. “Harvesting truffles with a dog is the most beautiful form of foraging there is,” he says. As he pulls out his phone to show a video of his current dog, Chloe, digging for a truffle that ended up being three feet in the earth, you can tell that he truly means what he says. The affection he has for these dogs, and the work they do is clearly evident in his expression.

Getz has been working with The Oregon Truffle Festival since its inception in 2006. One of his main goals in doing so has been to promote the use of trained truffle dogs in the harvesting of these prized delicacies. He is a strong protestor of using rakes to harvest truffles, not only because they disturb the natural area, but also because the truffles found this way are often highly inferior to those that are dog harvested.

This year the festival featured a breed of truffle dog called the Logotto Romagnolo, which have a history of truffle hunting that dates back to hundreds of years ago in Italy. However, Getz insists that it has less to do with a specific breed and more to do with a dog’s temperament, how their handler treats them and how well they are trained. “The dog handler has to have an understanding of truffles,” he says. Getz uses Labradors for his truffle hunting because they require less maintenance as far as grooming is concerned and are able to handle Oregon’s unpredictable climate. “My dog is built for this weather. The rain, nothing bothers her, she goes swimming in the middle of winter…she’s just happy,” he says about his dog Chloe. He does not deny that the Logotto’s are wonderful dogs and proven truffle hunters, he just hopes that they continue to be bred responsibly saying, “There can be a dark side to anything” as opportunists might begin take advantage of their growing popularity.

As Oregon’s native truffles have become more reputable, the popularity of the Oregon Truffle Festival has significantly increased, attracting, chefs, journalists, mushroom enthusiasts and food lovers from all over the world. A highlight of the festival is the truffle-dog training seminar, which is followed by an actual truffle hunt. According to Meg Trendler, the tourism sales manager at Eugene Cascades and Coast Travel Lane County, this has been the first year that everyone (dog and human) participating in the hunt has found a truffle or more. This may seem inconsequential, but for people like Getz it is yet another item to add to the list of why the use of trained dogs for truffle harvesting is a superior method.

Chloe waits patiently to be rewarded for her hard work.

Why are truffles such a highly prized food? Besides their exceptionally aromatic smell and strong taste (you only need a few tiny shavings to cook with), they are commonly considered a superfood. Because Getz harvests these mushrooms for a living he gets to cook with them frequently, often on a daily basis. He describes the way you feel after you have been eating truffles for weeks at a time saying, “It’s like you’re a child, like everything is magical.” There are no ups and downs, you just feel great all the time. “They get you high, they make you dream; they’re like a superfood,” he says.

As of right now, Getz is primarily a truffle harvester, but he hopes to be able to train dogs all year round sometime in the future. As he describes the process of training the dogs it becomes evident that this is his true passion. Not only does he genuinely care about the wellbeing of Oregon’s native truffles and the market’s reputation, but also does he honestly care about the health and wellbeing of his own and other truffle dogs.