Sniffing for Truffles

Truffles may be a delicacy enjoyed around the world, but we owe compliments not only to the chef who prepared the dish, but also the dog who found the truffle. That’s right, dogs around North America have been trained in the fine art of truffle hunting and they are heading to the Lane Events Center Feb. 8 to compete in The Joriad North American Truffle Dog Championship. The Joriad, run by the Oregon Truffle Festival, is the only competition of its kind in North America. “The Oregon Truffle Festival and The Joriad lay the foundations for a thriving truffle industry in Oregon,” says Charles Lefevre, Oregon Truffle Festival co-founder and member of its Board of Directors. The competition consists of three rounds. The first round is called the TORT, or truffle odor recognition test. In this round, the dogs are presented with 17 trays, and of those 17, five have a scented target. The dogs must successfully identify the five trays with truffles to move on to the next round. The second round is a hunt in the arena. The arena is divided into separate areas, each with a certain number of hidden targets. The dogs must race against the clock to find five targets within each area and the top five fastest competitors advance to the final round. In the final round, which is not open to spectators due to the secret location, the dogs are tested in a real truffle patch. The dog who collects the most truffles in one hour is crowned the champion.

The Joriad North American Truffle Dog Championship is 9 am Saturday, Feb. 8, at the Lane Events Center, 796 West 13th Avenue. Tickets are $20 in advance at OregonTruffleFestival.org or $25 at the door.

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!