Hazelnuts Are Catching On As A Profitable Tree Crop

Hazelnuts Are Catching On As A Profitable Tree Crop CROPS New Crops The world is getting a little nuttier every day and for Linda Grimo that’s a good thing Her family runs Grimo Nut Nursery near Ontario’s beautiful Niagara-On-the-Lake producing a variety of nuts and nut trees including hazelnuts The nursery has its roots with Linda’s father Ernie Grimo and his passion for understanding and growing tree nuts As a teen in the 1950’s Grimo foraged for nuts in the woods near his home Later as a teacher he introduced his students to the wonderful world of growing nut trees In 1974 he bought a small farm planted a variety of nut producing trees and slowly transformed his knowledge and hobby into a distinguished nursery business He’s kept careful records about flavor disease resistance commercial viability and varieties that thrive in the colder Canadian climate Grimo is widely recognized and appreciated for his expertise and collaboration with other growers He is the founding president of the Society of Ontario Nut Growers and a member of the Ontario Hazelnut Association The time-proven adage that an apple doesn’t fall far from the tree certainly applies to Ernie’s daughter Linda who’s now working beside her father She has that same love for the land passion for the business and wealth of knowledge about hazelnut trees Linda says hazelnuts also known as filberts are becoming increasingly popular as people discover the true taste of fresh nuts and the health benefits of eating them Growers in northern climates are helping to meet the demand Several hazelnut growers from Ontario Minnesota Wisconsin and Oregon are keen collaborators working together and sharing ideas Oregon is the largest nut growing area in the U S with about 67 000 acres on 800 farms Responding to growing interest Minnesota and Wisconsin growers have teamed up to start the Upper Midwest Hazelnut Development Initiative Ferrero Rocher famous for its chocolate-covered hazelnuts and Nutella is the world’s largest user of hazelnuts The company has built a North America manufacturing plant in Ontario intensifying interest in growing nuts Hazelnuts are relatively easy to raise Plants grow 4 to 6 years before producing a crop and in that time farmers can use the land for other cash crops while the trees mature They require minimal use of pesticides or other chemicals and will produce for about 100 years After the trees start producing they need to be surrounded by grass which must be mowed to cut down on mice and rabbit infestation Pruning is usually done every 3 years and irrigation is done as needed and just before harvest Harvesting is mechanical so the whole process isn’t very labor intensive Wholesale hazelnut prices range from $1 50 to $3 50 per pound and sell for about $8 00 retail Farmers typically generate $3 000 to $5 000 in revenue per acre The yearly Oregon crop generates about $70 million to that state’s economy Grimo Nut Nursery ships its tested hardy plants throughout most of Canada and the northern United States Linda takes care of all the permits and documents needed to ship from Canada to the U S The Grimo Nut Company website has a wealth of information including a growing guide Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Grimo Nut Nursery 979 Lakeshore Rd R R 3 Niagara-on-the-Lake Ontario Canada L0S 1J0 ph 905 934-6887; www grimonut com

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