After the initial trial click here was successful

After the initial trial Click here was successful, they bought a further 500 milk cap-infected trees from Edible Forest and Fungi NZ, part of Oregon Nursery in Oamaru. Later, they started to inoculate the trees themselves, by planting seedlings in the root zone of already infected trees before transplating to a different site. In 2011 they planted 400 radiata pines infected with porcini (Boletus edulis) in their chestnut orchard – the first farmers in New Zealand to try this potentially lucrative variety – which they are expecting to fruit in the next three or so years. "We had some of them DNA-tested in 2014 and they still have DNA on them. It looks positive but we're not harvesting any yet. No one knows how long it takes because it's new." Another crop that is yet to bear fruit are truffle-infested trees from former DSR scientist Dr Ian Hall's trial, but the price they'll fetch when they do finally emerge makes it worthwhile.

Kevin Fearn, of Edible Forest Fungi, says the industry as it is, is somewhat experimental. "Most of our customers are lifestylers who like doing something different. People don't realise how many mushrooms from overseas have become naturalised in our bush, such as slippery jack. We suspect mushrooms are more forgiving than truffles, which are very specific and like soil with very high pH, so in many parts of New Zealand this is going to be a highly modified environment. People think that they can just plant a tree and walk away, but it has to be done correctly."

So how much care do they need? Forest mushrooms need only a little irrigation, says Hannes, maybe an inch or so of water, directed at the mycelium rather than the trees. It was a hot summer this year – though according to local farmers this was fairly normal for Nelson.