The UW–Madison Division of Extension is hosting the 3rd Annual Wisconsin Hazelnut Week to feature all that is happening with hazelnuts in Wisconsin.
“We are getting closer and closer to having Wisconsin’s first nut crop,” says Jason Fischbach, the UW-Extension Emerging Crops Specialist, “And now is the time for growers to learn what it takes to grow hazelnuts, what the markets look like, and how to get started.”
Hazelnut Week 2024 includes a field day each day of hazelnut week. The events are free and open to the public, but registration is required. To find more hazelnut week events and information, visit https://www.midwesthazelnuts.org/coming-events.html.
Events
Monday, Aug. 19 from 3 – 5 p.m.
Bayfield Business Park/Northland College – Ashland, WI
28850 Eileen Hall Rd, Ashland, WI 54806
We will meet at the Bayfield Business Park near Ashland to tour the Bayfield Go-First Hazelnut Farm. There we’ll introduce attendees to hazelnuts, plant selection, establishment, and weed and pest management. We’ll then go visit the UMHDI Hazelnut Processing Accelerator at Northland College. This is your chance to see hazelnut processing in action including sizing, shelling, and sorting. It’s the only processing line of its kind in the Upper Midwest and is open to anyone to use.
Tuesday, Aug. 20 from 4 – 7 p.m.
Spooner Agricultural Research Station – Spooner, WI
W6646 WI-70, Spooner, WI 54801
Back by popular demand, we are including hazelnuts as a featured topic in the annual Spooner Ag Research Station Twilight Tour. We’ll tour a mature hazelnut planting loaded with nuts and see the Spooner Go-First Hazelnut Farm. This is a Hazelnuts 101 event with information about site and plant selection, establishment, weed and pest management, plant management, harvesting, and processing.
Wednesday, Aug. 21 from 3 – 5 p.m.
Cranberry Creek Cranberries – Finley, WI
W6150 Co Rd F, Necedah, WI 54646
Cranberry Creek Cranberries is home to a mature 10+ year old planting of seedling hazelnuts, a UMHDI germplasm trial, and a UMHDI Go-First Hazelnut Farm. We’ll tour all three! This is a Hazelnuts 101 event withinformation about site and plant selection, establishment, weed and pest management, plant management, harvesting, and processing.
Thursday, Aug. 22 from 3 – 5 p.m.
Happy Roots Farm – Plymouth, WI
W5901 Sumac Rd, Plymouth, WI 53073
Dave Bohnhoff and his family welcome you to their farm to learn about hazelnuts. Dave has a wide collection of hazelnut germplasm including many European hazelnut varieties. This event is intended as a Hazelnuts 101 event with information about site and plant selection, establishment, weed and pest management, plant management, harvesting, and processing. As a bonus, interested attendees can learn about creative apple grafting and pruning strategies.
Friday, Aug. 23 from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Savanna Institute North Farm – Spring Green, WI
E6856 WI-Trunk 60, Spring Green, WI 53588
The Savanna Institute’s North Farm is home to the very first Hazelnut Go-First Farm planted with the top genetics from the UMHDI and Grimo breeding programs. Now in it’s third year, this is your chance to see at-scale commercial production using alley-cropping. We’ll tour the plantings, see the equipment used to establish and maintain the planting, and we’ll see harvesting and de-husking equipment. Attendees will also learn about SI’s technical service program and the cost-share opportunities through the Expanding Agroforestry Program (EAP). This event is intended for growers interested in commercial-scale hazelnut production with a focus on mechanization and scaling.
