Meet The Truffle Hunting Dogs at The ACT's First Truffle Farm

Jayson Mesman doesn’t just rescue orphaned dogs: he gives them a new life as truffle hunters at his farm at the foothills of Mount Majura in the ACT.

Northeast of Australia’s capital stands Mount Majura. At 888 metres in height, its peak might be overshadowed by that of nearby Mount Ainslie, but at its base lies something special: Canberra’s first truffle farm.

While the truffles get sent to rarefied destinations around the world, the workers who make the whole operation tick – the Truffle Farm’s eight truffle-hunting dogs - are as down-to-earth as it gets. Most truffle farms start their dogs early and encourage a predilection for truffles from birth, but The Truffle Farm prides itself on its training, meaning the pack is made up of orphaned Labradors given new life and purpose. Jason Mesman, who bought the Truffle Farm in 2016 after joining the staff in 2009, says that the dogs might come from several sources.

“It could be the pound, it could be an organisation,” says Mesman. “It could be from individuals that bought a puppy at Christmas and then realise when it gets a bit older, especially with the Labrador, that it ends up being more of a ‘field’ Labrador and needs a heap more attention than they expected.”

Join a tour at The Truffle Farm and the dogs will lead the chase through row after row of oak and hazelnut trees inoculated with the truffle fungus, following their noses to sniff out the subterranean prizes. According to Mesman, the first thing guests comment on is how fit the dogs are, let alone obedient. But while physical fitness and mental stimulation come with the job, getting there is another matter. For Mesman, it’s a process borne from decades working as a trainer, firstly as a kennel hand in customs where he spent his hours cleaning up after the dogs. Nowadays, he sees teaching as all about connection.

“Every dog will have some sort of reason for motivation: I just find what motivates the dog,” he says. “Simba, my eldest dog, hunts for a hug and is all about human affection. Then I’ve got dogs that are addicted to tennis balls and others that love playing with tug toys. Once we find a dog’s motivation, we’ll use it through positive reinforcement to hunt for truffles.”

While 16-year-old Simba is the farm’s most senior dog, its youngest is 10 months of age, suggesting Mesman understands the finer points of teaching both old and young dogs new tricks. For those that place their faith in more empirical evidence: the farm is on track to harvest around 400kg of black truffles this season.

Guests at The Truffle Farm can not only join the hunt every weekend throughout the season (typically from early May to mid-June), they can also follow it with a tasting menu designed by Damien Brabender, chef behind lauded Otis Dining in Canberra (Otis, incidentally, runs its own seasonal truffle menus with The Truffle Farm’s product). Post-hunt dishes might range from an Antonio Carluccio-style raviolo filled with an egg yolk, to wagyu beef or barramundi, and sweets ranging from panna cotta to crème brulée, all flavoured with The Truffle Farm’s signature ingredient. For afters? Chocolate truffle truffle, of course.

Other local hotspots using The Truffle Farm’s supply range from fine-dining institution Sage, to East Asia-style Akiba, to Fyshwick’s ONA Coffee House. The farm also supplies truffles to chefs and restaurants further afield with Raphael Szurek of Silvester’s at the Sydney Harbour Marriott another long-time supporter. While this extended reach might be nice, Mesman’s focus is clear.

“My goal is to make sure Canberrans have access to one of the world’s best ingredients,” he says.