Club Business
President-Elect Brooke Carpenter called the meeting to order at 12:10.
Cliff Parker provided the invocation and led the Pledge of Allegiance.
PE Carpenter reported that President O’Donnell was on his way to FL because of a family emergency.
Things that happened on May 4th: 1924 Summer Olympics had gold medals won by Johnny Weissmuller, Gertrude Ederle, both in swimming, William Dehart Hubbard, in running long jump. (He was the first African American Olympian.) Benjamin Spock won a gold medal in men’s 8 crew. Audrey Hepburn was born in 1929, Alice Liddell, the inspiration for Louis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, was born in 1852.
Jokes for the day: Dentist x-rays are “tooth pics”; Restaurant on the Moon has “great food; no atmosphere; and several others.
Savannah Berntson, a frequent visitor and member of the Western Alamance HS Interact Club is going to attend UNC Charlotte in the fall.
Birthdays are Phil Smith and David Moore
Anniversaries are Micah Fox, Brad Moser, and Charlie Nolette
Next week’s meeting will be a hybrid (Zoom and in-person) at the Alamance Country Club preceded by a board meeting.
PE Carpenter reported that $1100 was raised at the fundraiser.
A “Feed the Hunger” food packing event is being held May 12th from 6:30 to 8:30 pm at Holly Mill Mall. The Western Alamance Interact Club is holding a similar event the following week. PE Carpenter will provide links for volunteers for the “Rotary Reads” book stamping event and opportunities to read to students at various local schools. (Zoom)
Program: Richard Franks – Carolina Biological
PE Brooke then introduced Richard Franks who spent many years at Carolina Biological who proceeded to inform us of the efforts to commercial grow white truffles in NC. Truffles are fungus that grows on the roots of trees. There was a previous attempt to grow black truffles on the roots of hazelnut trees but the hazelnut blight destroyed the trees.
Fungi spores must be implanted on seedlings in sterile potting soil. Native fungi prevent the acceptance of truffle spores. The latest efforts have been to grow white truffles on pine tree roots.
Pigs used to be used to locate truffles, although they also ate the truffles. Dogs have replaced the pigs. Most European truffle orchards were destroyed in WWII. France, Spain, and Italy major European growing areas. Australians are also attempting to grow truffles commercially.
As late as 2019, Richard stated that he would not think it would be possible to commercially grow truffles in NC. Things have changed. Established a truffle orchard that was productive at the beginning of 2020. Had product, but no customers because of the pandemic. Restaurants are primary customers. Truffles sell for $50/oz. The first orchard produced 300 pounds of truffles. Excess rain this Winter caused to ’21 crop to rot in the fields. The next crop will be available in Jan. ’22. Richard commented this “is farming.”
Learned a lot in the process: truffle orchards must have all tree stumps and roots to be removed to be viable. The ph of the soil has to be 7.5 to 8. 42 tons of lime have been applied to the fields. Have one producing 2-acre orchard and are developing 4 additional 2-acre truffle orchards. (a 2-acre orchard is located on a 3-acre plot)
White truffles can be frozen. After being frozen they can be added to food, not cooked with food. Must be used within 12 hours after thawing or they turn to mush. Black truffles cannot be frozen.
Efforts are gaining a lot of attention. A book is coming out about growing truffles that will include the efforts in NC. Will also be included in a Smithsonian Magazine article in the June edition.
We learned a lot more about truffles than we ever imagined!
Conclusion
PE Brooke concluded the meeting by reciting the 4-Way Test.