2013 Annual Report for FNC10-823
Evaluating 2nd Generation Hybrid Hazelnuts Through On-Farm Production Trials
Summary
[Editor's note: The final report included an article from "Hazelnut News" which featured graphs and pictures that could not be included here. To see the full report with article, please see the attachment below.]
PROJECT BACKGROUND
The Chequamegon Food Cooperative (CFC) is a retail cooperative grocery store in Ashland, WI. In 2008, the CFC purchased an old fruit farm in Bayfield, WI with the goal to produce a range of fruits and vegetables for its store while also exploring value-added processing options. In addition, the Chequamegon Foods Farm, LLC, as it was called, would work with local growers and leaders to collaboratively grow and expand the local food economy.
One of the initial projects at the Farm was to work with UW-Extension Agriculture Agent, Jason Fischbach, to establish a hazelnut germplasm trial to evaluate select hazelnut accessions collected by researchers of the Upper Midwest Hazelnut Development Initiative. By hosting the trial at our Farm the intention was to enable growers in Bayfield and beyond to participate in the emerging hazelnut industry in the Upper Midwest.
With this project our intention was to expand the germplasm trials to include a full-scale production trial utilizing 2nd generation offspring from advanced crosses of hybrid hazelnuts developed by Forest Agriculture Enterprises. With nearly 400 plants per site, the Hybrid Hazelnut Production Trials would allow us to better understand the production potential of hazelnuts while also providing a demonstration site for local growers. In time, we would also engage in value-added processing with the hazelnuts to catalyze a local hazelnut industry.
In 2012, the Board of the Chequamegon Food Cooperative decided to focus on expansion of their retail store and to sell the Chequamegon Foods Farm. With the Farm in a permanent conservation easement, it was sold to a local farm family with the condition that the hazelnut trials would proceed as originally planned. Thus, although the CFC is no longer the owner of the land, it is still a supporter of the project and the overall effort to commercialize hazelnuts in the region. The project is now largely coordinated by Jason Fischbach of Bayfield County UW-Extension.
The Chequamegon Foods Farm was only one of four trial sites. The other three sites: Stoughton, Eagle, and Spooner are still actively managed by the cooperators, Joel Helge, Jeannie Herold, and Phil Holman, respectively.
The Chequamegon Food Cooperative is a leader in economic development around local foods. We purchase as much locally-produced foods as we can and provide micro-loans to local producers to expand production.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
GOALS
This long-term project to establish four replicated hazelnut production trials in Wisconsin has a series of short and long-term goals. During the two-year duration of this grant funding the goals were to:
1. Establish hazelnut production trials at four locations throughout Wisconsin.
2. Collect and publish establishment cost data at each of the four sites.
3. Evaluate the survival and growth of the hybrid seedlings as affected by tree tubes.
4. Conduct a field day at one of the trials to discuss and demonstrate hazelnut establishment protocols.
5. Present the initial performance data at the Upper Midwest Hazelnut Growers Conference in 2012.
Longer-term, the goals of the trials are to:
1. Evaluate the precocity, growth, and yield of the individual seedlings with the goal to identify select individuals for replicated evaluation and eventual cultivar development.
2. Collect production cost and yield data to publish an enterprise budget for shrub-based hazelnut production.
3. Evaluate pruning strategies to maximize yields and minimize the biennial-bearing habit of the hazelnut plants.
PROCESS
One of the goals of the Chequamegon Food Cooperative is to grow and support a local food economy in the Chequamegon bay region of Northern Wisconsin. Hazelnuts have been envisioned as a commercial food crop for the region given its historical use by Native Americans and current geographic distribution across Northern Wisconsin. By partnering with Jason Fischbach and the Upper Midwest Hazelnut Development Initiative, we wanted to take concrete steps to make commercial hazelnut production a reality in the region.
In consultation with Fischbach, we decided the best option was to establish a sizable production trial using some new genetic material developed by Forest Agriculture Enterprises. By planting nearly an acre we could generate real-life production data and utilize commercial harvesting equipment used by blueberry growers. By collaborating with two other private growers and the Spooner Agriculture Research Station, we were able to extend the reach of the project by establishing a production trial planting at three other locations in Wisconsin.
One of the issues facing hazelnut growers is the establishment process for the hazelnut seedlings, which are typically pretty small and slow to establish. Furthermore, there is no good information as to the establishment costs of hazelnut plantings.
Our hope with the plantings is that we can achieve multiple objectives and help move a commercial hazelnut industry forward in Wisconsin. Doing so would provide another high-value cropping option for growers in our region while also supporting an industry and crop that could have significant economic and environmental benefits throughout the Upper Midwest.
PEOPLE
Our primary collaborator with this project was Jason Fischbach with Ashland and Bayfield County UW-Extension and his research assistant, Matt Cogger. Jason coordinates the Upper Midwest Hazelnut Development Initiative and works throughout the Upper Midwest to support the emerging hazelnut industry. Jason and Matt organized the trials, assisted with planting, and collected the data.
Jeannie Herold is the owner of Hazel Valley Farm in Eagle, WI. One of the four plantings was established on her farm. Jeannie hosted the 2012 Wisconsin Hazelnut Field Day, during which attendees were able to tour the new planting.
Joel Helge is the owner of Emancipation Acres in Stoughton, WI. He and his wife planted and maintained one of the four plantings and have assisted with some data collection.
Phil Holman is the Superintendent of the Spooner Agriculture Research Station where one of the four plantings is located. Phil and his crew assisted with site preparation, mulching, and weed control at the planting.
RESULTS
The project has been very successful to date and we have achieved the goals we identified in the project proposal. All of the results and publications are available for free download at www.midwesthazelnuts.org.
1. Establish hazelnut production trials at four locations throughout Wisconsin.
a. All four plantings were successfully established in 2011. Plant survival after two years was 93%-Bayfield, 90%-Stoughton, 84%-Spooner, 61%-Eagle.
b. Dead plants were replaced in the spring of 2013 such that all four sites have at least 350 hybrid hazelnut plants.
2. Collect and publish establishment cost data at each of the four sites.
a. Jason Fischbach published two newsletter articles about the plantings with a detailed description of the establishment costs.
b. In addition, Jason created a hazelnut enterprise budget spreadsheet tool for growers to use.
c. All of the publications generated from these trials are located at
3. Evaluate the survival and growth of the hybrid seedlings as affected by tree tubes.
a. Jason Fischbach and Matt Cogger published a Research Bulletin titled: “The Effect of Tree Tubes on Hazelnut Establishment and Growth”
4. Conduct a field day at one of the trials to discuss and demonstrate hazelnut establishment protocols.
a. Jeannie Herold of Hazel Valley Farm hosted a field day in August of 2012 to discuss hazelnut establishment and the production trials.
b. The newsletter articles about the plantings were distributed to attendees of the 2011 Wisconsin Hazelnut Field Day.
5. Present the initial performance data at the Upper Midwest Hazelnut Growers Conference in 2012.
a. Jason Fischbach provided an update on hazelnut establishment and the production trials at the conference in March 2012 and again in March 2013.
Rather than pay full price for the replacement plants in 2013, it was decided to purchase the seed directly from Forest Agriculture Enterprises and grow out the plants at Northland College in their greenhouse in order to evaluate the effect of pot size and fertilization on hazelnut seedling growth. The results of these trials are published in a Research Bulletin titled: “The Effect of Pot Size and Fertilization on Hazelnut Seedling Growth”. This “extra” project allowed us to obtain the replacement plants for half the retail cost while also generating useful information to nurseries or growers wanting to produce their own plants from seed.
DISCUSSION
The Research Bulletins and Newsletter articles published by Jason Fischbach provide detailed information as to what has been learned from the production trials to date. Clearly, tree tubes will enhance early growth of the hazelnuts and would likely make weed control easier, particularly for new growers without much agricultural experience.
Although the Chequamegon Food Cooperative sold the Chequamegon Foods Farm and, thus, no longer directly involved in the production trial in Bayfield, the CFC continues to be a strong supporter of the project and is working closely with Jason Fischbach to help commercialize hazelnuts for the region. As such, we feel that similar production trial plantings would be a good way to get hazelnuts out on the landscape while collecting valuable performance data as to the plantings as a whole and the individual genotypes. The only way a hazelnut industry will be created is if growers and other entities take a chance and start doing the growing. With the researchers of the Upper Midwest as partners, we’ll be able learn a lot along the way and hopefully, hasten the commercialization process. The CFC is excited to see the yield data (and the nuts, in particular) from the plantings once the plants are mature.
OUTREACH
The CFC partnered with UW-Extension and the Upper Midwest Hazelnut Development Initiative (UMHDI) to disseminate the results and information about the project to hazelnut growers and the general public. Advertisements for the Field Day in Eagle and the Growers Conferences in 2012 and 2013 were sent to growers via the UMHDI email list and links to the UMHDI website (www.midwesthazelnuts.org). In addition, press releases were sent to statewide and local newspapers for the events. The 2011 WI Field Day was attended by 45 people, the 2011 MN Hazelnut Field Day was attended by 60 people, the 2012 WI Field Day was attended by 30 people, and the two conferences combined were attended by 335 people.
UW-Extension and the UMHDI plan to continue using the production trials for annual field days and possibly train-the-trainer events in the coming years. In addition, data from the trials will be published in Research Bulletins and made available via the UMHDI website. See attached newsletter articles and the Research Bulletins to date.
PROGRAM EVALUATION
The SARE Farmer-Rancher grant program is a fantastic (and efficient way) to utilize federal farm bill dollars in support of agricultural development and diversification, particularly for projects that don’t yet have industry or even University support. Farmers are some of the most innovative and creative professionals around and their ideas and passion can bring significant improvement to our economic, social, and environmental health. The SARE Farmer-Rancher program helps harness that innovation and turn it into useable information for others. The program also encourages UW-Extension and growers to work together on applied research projects.