In Canterbury (New Zealand), we are halfway through the third annual Truffle Festival.

This is a celebration of the gourmet fungus known as Truffles and of course the food and wine that go with these delicacies.  You can think of truffles as a sort of underground mushroom that only grows in certain soils.

The alkaline soils of Waipara and surrounding areas of North Canterbury make ideal growing media for truffles.

Hard at work in Waipara is Rosie the Beagle who lives at Limestone Hills.  Back in 2013, I visited the farm and watched Rosie in action – she’s a truffle dog – trained to sniff out the truffles so they can be harvested.

Good girl, Rosie!

Kathleen Crisley, specialist in dog massage, rehabilitation and nutrition/food therapy, The Balanced Dog, Christchurch, New Zealand