Wagga is set to record one of its driest Junes in recent years, with the lack of rainfall playing havoc on the mushroom foraging season across the region.
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The foraging season normally kicks off in autumn, but thanks to a very dry season, fungi numbers have been slim.
Rick Storrier from Ten Thousand Harvest went to Tumut in April to forage, but essentially returned empty handed and disappointed.
"There was a few [mushrooms] around, and then we went back about three weeks later and it was just so dry up there," Mr Storrier said.
"Normally you can go up there and you can just find them sort of everywhere in the pine forest, they're pretty abundant... but it's been such a dry autumn."
Mr Storrier says mushrooms need water and an adequate amount of nutrition to fruit, which is why you often see mushrooms after a rain event.
He runs his business in Wagga and grows mushrooms in a shipping container, meaning he doesn't only have to rely on the weather to sell produce.
However, he has missed out on any business he would normally get selling wild mushrooms he would find to hospitality venues.
"I had a few cafes that would have loved to have them on like a specials menu a little bit more often, but they [mushrooms] just weren't there," Mr Storrier said.
The dry autumn has rolled into winter, with Bureau of Meteorology's Jiwon Park confirming the region's rainfall this June is below average for this time of year.
"This month we had about 25mm in Wagga and 11.4mm in Griffith, so that's well below both the mean and median rainfall for June," Mr Park said.
This June has been the driest Wagga has seen since 2017 and is on track to be the second driest June in the last 11 years.
Mr Park says there are some showers predicted for Wagga on Saturday and Sunday, however rainfall totals will still be 15mm below average even if predicted wet weather arrives.
"We will see a passage of a vigorous front and that may bring some rainfall about much of the state, that certainly will include the Wagga Wagga and Riverina region," the meteorologist said.
"The Wagga forecast rainfall seems to be about 5 to 10mm, mainly during the latter part of Saturday."
Jeremy Eager
Originally from Wollongong, Jeremy has made the move to The Daily Advertiser to tell the stories of the Riverina. Got a story to share? Email jeremy.eager@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Originally from Wollongong, Jeremy has made the move to The Daily Advertiser to tell the stories of the Riverina. Got a story to share? Email jeremy.eager@austcommunitymedia.com.au
