Early closure of online orders !

This year we attempted to partially reflect the true cost of online orders into online ordering;
Short Version: it is not viable to offer Ripe Truffles online. Perhaps it works for under-ripe junk, or with truffle resold from exploited farmers, but near all online farmers seem to have also quit offering truffle online post-Covid.

$15 express postage,
>$5 packaging materials,
$20-$80 -or worse cost of time to select & pack truffle, post labels, to do this in daytime can even stop hunting of further truffles that day,
... and then the return trip to post office minimum 30min;

... instead of possibly harvesting a further 1-2kg per hour if the weather is good =$200-$500-$1500? the cost depends on weather outside the postage window...

... Zero to Three online orders per week, does not work as a business, better to not sell them at all.
10 orders each 40-200grams, might be feasible... but that is not what the market is ordering in this economy.

Nothing is certain about truffle growing but wasted harvest time is a definable cost to us as we see lost hours affect or totally eliminate the random times the weather allows us to harvest the truffles that must be Found, and Taken within 24-96 hours, or lost!
This is the key difference. Cheaper truffle is typically harvested on a 2-3week before ripe, =good enough to sell somewhere basis. They don't want happy customers, they just want to move volume.
(but sometimes cheap truffle just means the grower was underpaid, did you support the grower by buying direct? or a simply use a wholesale profit merchant?)

ie. Backpacker picked truffle, anything with a smell, mostly not worth eating...
OR Grower harvested, at full ripeness, losing 20-50% in the final weeks in the balancing act of fully ripe truffle, vs ... everything else, animals, insects, over ripe, warm days, frozen nights capable of destroying nearly ripe truffles

We appreciate that there are first time consumers out there, that have already purchased low-grade junk from the markets and are reluctant to order sight unseen from yet another online retailer... 
Each year a few choose to come to farmgate, to see, smell, receive advice on storage, usage... and then went home to experience what a truffle experience should be!
{the majority subsequently become dedicated yearly farmgate customers.}

But post covid, online shipping is no longer viable on a weekly basis. Fortnightly maybe? ...???

Given the cheap supply of under-ripe WA truffle has apparently ended in this first week of August 2024, perhaps there will be some residual interest in properly ripe truffles? 

We have cancelled online orders from Tuesday 13th August.
Come and get it from Farmgate! See, smell, before you buy, be converted on a sniff if you are experienced, or receive advice on how to cook with properly ripe truffle!
Simple food is the best, there is nothing complicated about cooking with truffle, just wonderful food experiences.

Past Online Customers: We will continue to support those that have supported us, send us an email if you missed the final 2024 online order dates and the online store is closed, we may still have truffle into early-September, but won't offer it for shipment to last minute interests.