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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260614T080000
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SUMMARY:NATGA Congress Spring 2026
DESCRIPTION:Join us in Santa Rosa\, CA in June 2026 for our annual NATGA Congress\, where we will be enjoying many of the amazing offerings of Sonoma County\, including vineyards\, wineries\, truffle orchards\, amazing culinary adventures\, and of course Truffles. \n\n\n\n\nBuy your Early Bird Tickets\n\n\n\n\nKeynote Speaker:Alessandra Zambonelli\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAlessandra Zambonelli is a prominent Full Professor of Botany at the University of Bologna\, specializing in applied mycology and a world-leading expert on truffles. Her research concentrates on truffles covering their genetics\, ecology\, cultivation\, and mycorrhizal associations. She has worked in applied mycology since 1981 and led many national and international projects. Prof. Zambonelli has published over 235 scientific articles and co-authored books\, including “Taming the Truffle”\, which is the definitive book on the history\, lore\, science\, and cultivation of truffles. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe NATGA 2026 Congress will feature 2 full days of useful\, relevant research and the latest information on truffle cultivation. You’ll be able to network with industry experts\, successful truffle producers and leading truffle researchers. In addition to the scientific content\, we are adding unique Sonoma County Events centered around truffles\, such as wine and truffle bite pairing and a moderated panel discussion with well-known Michelin Star Chefs. \n\n\n\nFor the first time ever\, we are also offering 3 additional Bonus Truffle Experiences\, with a variety of optional programs including: \n\n\n\n\n Cooking with Truffles\, \n\n\n\nTruffle Dog Training and a \n\n\n\nTruffle Microscopy Workshop. \n\n\n\n\nThese Bonus Truffle Experiences will take place before and/or after the Congress for an additional fee. \n\n\n\nCongress kicks off on Sunday evening at the Flamingo Resort\, June 14 with our annual Welcome Reception where you can connect with old friends\, meet new NATGA supporters and network with the experts. Day One will start at the Flamingo Resort and will feature presentations from our Keynote Speaker\, Professor Alessandra Zambonelli\, as well as additional industry professionals on topics related to truffle cultivation\, production\, and marketing of truffles. The afternoon will be spent touring a Sonoma County truffle orchard and vineyards\, watching a truffle dog demonstration\, and experiencing fabulous Sonoma County wines\, paired with gourmet truffle bites prepared by Eric Anderson\, a Michelin Star Chef. \n\n\n\nDay Two will include our annual NATGA members Business Meeting\, an additional presentation by Prof Zambonelli as well as more truffle and Ag industry professionals in the morning. For the first time ever\, the afternoon will also be available to the public via a Day Pass. The afternoon session\, From Soil Prep to Harvest: Latest Research and Development for Truffle Cultivation will also be especially informative for those considering starting a truffle orchard. We’ll also feature a moderated Chef Panel Discussion with Michelin Star Chefs\, a Truffle Marketplace\, and Silent Auction. Congress concludes with our Closing Reception and Wine and Truffle Bite pairing. \n\n\n\nAgenda Highlights\n\n\n\n\nView Agenda as of 2/24/2026\n\n\n\n\nKeynote Speaker: Alessandra Zambonelli\, PhD\, Univ of Bologna\, Italy  \n\n\n\n\nState of the Truffle Industry and Perspectives from Italy\n\n\n\nLatest Developments and Techniques in Improving Soil Microbiomes \n\n\n\n\nBreeding and Training Exceptional Truffle-Hunting Dogs\, Raúl Deoiz\, Spain Founder and Manager of Trufdog. \n\n\n\nTruffle Species and Tree Species; New Combinations and Opportunities\, Brian Upchurch\, Carolina Truffiéres\, NC \n\n\n\nModerated Chef Panel Discussion with Michelin Star Chefs Tuesday\, June 16 at 2:30-4:00 PM\n\n\n\nWe are pleased to confirm the participation of several highly acclaimed Northern California chefs\, widely recognized for their expertise in working with fresh truffles: \n\n\n\nModerator\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n	\n\n\n \n\n\n\n	\n\n		 Dustin Valette\n\n		Chef Owner \n\n	\n\n	\n		\n			Dustin Valette is a prominent chef and restaurateur based in Healdsburg\, California\, known for his deep roots in Sonoma County and his focus on ‘hyper-local\, micro-seasonal”; wine country cuisine. He currently operates several high-profile establishments in downtown Healdsburg\, including Valette and The Matheson. Before opening his own restaurants\, Valette built an impressive resume at some of the West Coast’s most prestigious kitchens including Dry Creek Kitchen and Aqua in San Francisco \n\n		 \n	\n\n	\n \n\n\n	\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nPanelists\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n	\n\n\n \n\n\n\n	\n\n		 Eric Anderson\n\n		Chef Owner \n\n	\n\n	\n		\n			Erik Anderson is a Michelin-starred chef known for his work in some of the most prestigious kitchens in the United States\, including The French Laundry in Napa\, Coi in San Francisco and Four Seasons Resort in Calistoga. Chef Erik Anderson has partnered with Theorem Vineyards and will launch Ilora\, a forthcoming\, exclusive tasting menu restaurant in Calistoga\, California \n\n		 \n	\n\n	\n \n\n\n	\n \n\n\n\n	\n\n\n \n\n\n\n	\n\n		 Douglas Keane\n\n		Chef\, co-owner \n\n	\n\n	\n		\n			Douglas Keane is an award-winning American chef best known as the owner and visionary behind the Michelin-starred restaurant Cyrus. Based in Sonoma County\, California\, Keane has become a prominent figure in reimagining the sustainability and ethics of the fine-dining industry. His accolades include two Michelin stars\, four stars from the San Francisco Chronicle\, a James Beard Award for Best Chef Pacific\, and being listed in Gourmet Magazine's Top 50 Restaurants in America\, among many others. \n\n		 \n	\n\n	\n \n\n\n	\n \n\n\n\n	\n\n\n \n\n\n\n	\n\n		 Ken Frank\n\n		Chef Owner \n\n	\n\n	\n		\n			Ken Frank is the executive chef and owner of La Toque in Napa Valley\, California. A self-taught culinary pioneer\, he is widely regarded as one of the defining figures of contemporary French-California cuisine. Ken Frank is known as one of the world’s foremost truffle experts\, he hosts the annual Napa Truffle Festival. In 2014\, he was the first American chef invited to participate in the prestigious Alba White Truffle Festival in Italy. \n\n		 \n	\n\n	\n \n\n\n	\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nOptional Programs\n\n\n\nWe are preparing a series of extra curricular opportunities which may require additional fees \n\n\n\nWednesday 6/17 \n\n\n\n\nTruffle Orchard Tours \n\n\n\nMicroscopy Course\n\n\n\nCooking Class – See description\n\n\n\nDog Training Class – See description (UPDATED)\n\n\n\nMushroom producer tour\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n	\n\n\n \n\n\n\n	\n\n		 Raúl Deoiz\n\n		RSCE Certified Dog Trainer \n\n	\n\n	\n		\n			Founder and manager of Trufdog\, a leading specialist in breeding and training exceptional truffle-hunting dogs and host of the Dog Training Workshop at the 2026 NATGA Congress Workshop \n\n		 \n	\n\n	\n \n\n\n	\n \n\n\n\n	\n\n\n \n\n\n\n	\n\n		 Julia Farkas Gnall\n\n		Chef \n\n	\n\n	\n		\n			Chef Julia Farkas Gnall has over 20 years of professional kitchen experience and hosts the Cooking Workshop at Quivira for the 2026 Congress \n\n		 \n	\n\n	\n \n\n\n	\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSpeakers\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n	\n\n\n \n\n\n\n	\n\n		 Alessandra Zambonelli\n\n		PhD \n\n	\n\n	\n		\n			Full Professor of Botany at the University of Bologna’s Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences in Italy and co-authored Taming the Truffle: The History\, Lore\, and Science of the Ultimate Mushroom. \n\n		 \n	\n\n	\n \n\n\n	\n \n\n\n\n	\n\n\n \n\n\n\n	\n\n		 Mark Coleman\n\n		Forestry Faculty \n\n	\n\n	\n		\n			TRAPI project director. Fourteen years as Research Scientists with US Forest Service in Wisconsin and South Carolina. Forestry Faculty at University of Idaho for the past thirteen years.   \n\n		 \n	\n\n	\n \n\n\n	\n \n\n\n\n	\n\n\n \n\n\n\n	\n\n		 Ann Scanlan\n\n		Vice President and Research Task Force Lead \n\n	\n\n	\n		\n			Ann Scanlan currently serves as VP of NATGA and is chair of the Research Task Force.  She has an orchard in the mountains of Southern California. \n\n		 \n	\n\n	\n \n\n\n	\n \n\n\n\n	\n\n\n \n\n\n\n	\n\n		 Margaret Townsend\n\n		Owner \n\n	\n\n	\n		\n			Margaret saw the potential for truffle production on her family farm in Kentucky back in 2011 when she started a 25-acre venture dedicated to raising Perigord Truffles (Tuber Melanosporum) in Southern Kentucky. \n\n		 \n	\n\n	\n \n\n\n	\n \n\n\n\n	\n\n\n \n\n\n\n	\n\n		 Brian Upchurch\n\n		\n	\n\n	\n		\n			Brian Upchurch\, a former President of NATGA\, is a professional horticulturist who owned and operated a wholesale specialty nursery for 30 years prior to starting his truffle orchard business with his son\, Davis.  \n\n		 \n	\n\n	\n \n\n\n	\n \n\n\n\n	\n\n\n \n\n\n\n	\n\n		 Fran Angerer\n\n		Artistic Truffle Farmer\, Local Defacto Truffle Meister \n\n	\n\n	\n		\n			NATGA Member since 2019\, truffle grower \n\n		 \n	\n\n	\n \n\n\n	\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTicket Prices\n\n\n\nAll-Inclusive Full Congress Package\, June 14-16:\n\n\n\nIncludes 2 full days of industry presentations\, breakfasts\, lunches\, orchard tour\, wine and truffle bite pairing and Michelin Chef Roundtable Discussion\, Truffle Marketplace\, Silent Auction\, and Opening and Closing Receptions with Wine and Truffle Bite pairing: \n\n\n\n\nMember\, Earlybird (until March 31\, 2026): $545\n\n\n\nMember\, $595\n\n\n\nNon-Member\, $695\n\n\n\n\n\nBuy your Early Bird Tickets\n\n\n\n\nDay Pass and Truffle Marketplace\, June 16 \n\n\n\nOpen to the Public \n\n\n\nIncludes lunch\, afternoon scientific session\, Michelin Chef Roundtable Discussion\, Truffle Marketplace\, Silent Auction\, and Closing Reception with Wine and Truffle Bite pairing: \n\n\n\n\nDay Pass\, Earlybird (until May 31\, 2026): $295\n\n\n\nDay Pass at the Door: $325\n\n\n\n\nAccommodations\n\n\n\nOur room block is below and we encourage everyone to book their rooms now! Your card is not charged until your stay\, so there is no downside to book your room now! We have the dates and hotel confirmed so we can put our 2026 Congress up on our webpage as well so that folks can book rooms and start blocking off their calendars. And now the fun of planning the rest of the Congress begins! \n\n\n\nPre-book now. There is only a limited number of room reserved with a NATGA discount. \n\n\n\n\nReserve your  Room\n\n\n\n\nResources\n\n\n\nPicture gallery of the area \n\n\n\nSonoma County Tourism information
URL:https://trufflegrowers.com/event/natga-congress-spring-2026/
LOCATION:Flamingo Resort and Conference Center\, 2777 4th St\, Santa Rosa\, CA\, 95405\, United States
CATEGORIES:Congress
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://trufflegrowers.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Flamingo_exterior_03_hr-scaled.650x500.webp
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