(February 15, 2024) Salem, OR — Oregon Governor Tina Kotek has designated February as Oregon Truffle Month in a signed Proclamation dated February 6, 2024. The Oregon Truffle Festival, a nonprofit organization founded in 2006 with the mission of building appreciation for Oregon’s native truffles, submitted the application for the designation. The signed proclamation arrives in time for the 2024 truffle season and the Oregon Truffle Festival’s winter events.

The signed Proclamation reads:

WHEREAS: Oregon is recognized as one of the top five truffle regions in the world and Oregon truffles are among the world’s preeminent culinary delicacies; and

WHEREAS: Truffles are a form of mycorrhizal fungus that develops underground in symbiotic association with the roots of trees. Truffles are the “fruit” of these fungi; and

WHEREAS: Oregon is home to four native truffle species that are recognized for their culinary value: the Oregon Winter White Truffle (Tuber oregonense), the Oregon Spring White Truffle (Tuber gibbosum), the Oregon Black Truffle (Leucangium carthusianum), and the Oregon Brown Truffle (Kalapuya brunnea); and

WHEREAS: Oregon truffles provide an economic incentive for landowners to keep forest ecosystems intact since truffle patches are set aside for carbon sequestration, oxygen generation, restoration of salmon spawning habitat, and wildlife migration corridors; and

WHEREAS: February marks the peak of Oregon truffle season drawing hundreds of people from around the country who visit Oregon’s rural communities where truffles are found, benefiting local communities.

NOW,
THEREFORE: I, Tina Kotek, Governor of the State of Oregon, hereby proclaim February 2024 to be OREGON TRUFFLE MONTH in Oregon and encourage all Oregonians to join in this observance.

Timed with the Proclamation, the Oregon Truffle Festival looks forward to hosting a Gala Truffle Dinner with Willamette Valley Vineyards at the winery’s Turner estate. The sold-out dinner will include warm reception followed by a multi-course truffle dinner in the Estate Room. Willamette Valley Vineyards Executive Chef DJ MacIntyre and Oregon Truffle Festival Culinary Director Charles Ruff will highlight the harmony of Oregon terroir in both wine and truffles.

A new event for the Oregon Truffle Festival, Enchanted & Entangled: A Truffle and Fungi Immersion (March 1-3) will take a deeper dive into the world of fungi and mycorrhizal networks. Hosted at the remote Camp Westwind in the UNESCO Cascade Head Biosphere Reserve north of Lincoln City, the gathering features British ecologist/biologist Merlin Sheldrake, whose discoveries of how the underground world of fungi make our world and shape our futures has captivated readers worldwide. Guests will join Sheldrake and other world-renown experts for foraging adventures, workshops, and conversations over delicious truffle meals.

As a community-minded retreat, lodging will be on-site in shared cabins, with family style breakfasts and lunches. In addition to Merlin Sheldrake, author of the recent bestselling book Entangled Life, participating experts include forest ecologist Christine Fisher and citizen science mycologist and author William Padilla-Brown, among others. A just-added gala dinner on Saturday night will feature a multi-course Oregon truffle dinner with wine pairings created by Foraging Chef Robin Jackson and Oregon Truffle Festival Culinary Director Charles Ruff. For those who are passionate about truffles and the wondrous world of mycorrhizal fungi, this is an incredible opportunity to connect, learn, and be inspired, all while feasting on truffles. Tickets are available here and include room and board ($1,780 per person).

For more information on Oregon truffles, the mission of the Oregon Truffle Festival, and ticket information, please visit oregontrufflefestival.org.