Farmers are often looking at ways to improve their production and for new products that will increase returns from farms.
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In 2005, when Fiona Kotvojs returned to her family's beef farm in Dignams Creek she considered numerous options and finally identified truffles as a possible winner.
While truffle production is established in other parts of Australia, including on the Monaro, they had not been established in Bega Valley or Eurobodalla.
Despite this, she recognised there were areas which provided the conditions truffles required.
In 2011, Ms Kotvojs organised experts to conduct a workshop in Cobargo on the production of black truffles which was attended by over 50 people.
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Following this workshop she developed a one hectare orchard - a truffière - as a proof of concept exercise.
Her objective was to see if the Far South Coast could become a truffle centre which would also boost winter tourism.
Six years after establishing the truffière she and her husband Alan Burdon had their first commercial crop of truffles - this is the second year.
Production has increased and local restaurants from Merimbula to Narooma are now incorporating truffles into dishes.
"There remains a lot of mystery about growing truffles," Ms Kotvojs said.
"Many people have established truffières and not produced truffles.
"Others have good crops in areas where they theoretically should struggle.
"Growing truffles remains something of a black box.
"We do know the conditions they require and a little about their formation; truffles form in February and March, so volume depends on late summer and early autumn rainfall.
"Ripening is dependent on frosts, so this explains why the truffle season is short - lasting about six weeks from the mid to late June to early August," Ms Kotvojs said.
"Warm days during winter spoil truffles as they ripen, as do the ever present insects, snails and slugs.
"All this accounts for the high price of quality truffles. Fortunately, only a little is needed in each dish.
At the end of the season, Ms Kotvojs and Mr Burdon will be determining whether this really is a crop that could help farms in this area remain viable.
If it all looks good, Ms Kotvojs will organise another workshop to inform other potential growers and enable them to make a decision as to whether truffles could be part of their farm production.
"Hopefully we will see this area become another truffle hub for Australia," she said.