Hazelnut Farming in the Kootenays with Zachary Fleming (KBFA workshop audio recording, Sept 30 2023)

Zachary Fleming, a professional agrologist and the president of the BC Hazelnut Growers Association, discusses the what, why and how of getting into the hazelnut industry including market outlook, sector opportunities, and long-term management. This Kootenay and Boundary Farm Advisor (KBFA) workshop on September 30, 2023, in Creston, BC, was recorded by a microphone on Zachary Fleming. (Subtitles are auto-generated and un-edited, so contain numerous typos and errors.) Chapters, below, link directly to the timeline. Resources for hazelnut growers are also linked below. CHAPTERS: 0:00:00 History of Hazelnuts 0:14:08 Hazelnut Life Cycle 0:15:54 Hazelnut Varieties 0:18:10 Climate, Zones, Kootenay Relevance 0:21:27 Marketing Potential 0:25:23 Basic Processing for Retail 0:27:05 Washing Nuts 0:28:01 Shelf Life 0:28:55 Harvesting (Over-row/Blueberry Harvester) 0:32:01 Harvesting (Sweepers, Vacuums, Nets, Other) 0:36:40 Nut Size 0:37:29 Hybrids vs Cultivars (and the Quarantine) 0:39:18 Eastern Filbert Blight 0:40:58 Native and Ornamental Hazelnuts 0:42:53 Propagation and Layering 0:48:38 Multi-stem 0:53:15 Pruning for Wood Renewal 0:55:31 Commercial 25% Pruning 0:56:40 Pruning for Healthy Establishment 0:59:55 Time to First Nuts 1:00:59 Soil Management 1:05:28 Weed Competition 1:07:00 Pruning Back to Zero 1:10:38 Live Stakes (not likely to work) 1:12:09 More Pruning (and Splitting Bark) 1:14:10 Sunburn 1:15:22 Squirrels and Pests 1:20:09 Pruning when Not Dormant 1:21:50 More Pruning (and Leaving Suckers) 1:25:47 Pruning with Blight 1:30:34 Cold Weather Impacts 1:37:14 Pruning Scaffolds 1:44:37 Establishment Obstacles 1:47:39 Organic Transitions 1:49:20 Landscape Fabric 1:50:38 Spacing 1:51:46 Intermission: Grazing Hazelnuts? 1:54:19 Vacuum Harvester 1:55:48 Deer Impacts on Establishment 1:56:36 Nut Size Comparison 1:58:18 Vacuum Harvester (again) 2:00:21 Comparing Varieties 2:06:29 Value as Shelterbelt Hedge 2:07:49 Alley Cropping 2:09:29 Big Old Trees 2:10:50 Pollination and Pollinizers 2:11:50 Feasibility of Blueberry Harvester 2:13:10 Cold Kills Nuts 2:14:05 Wrap-up LINKS & RESOURCES: BC Hazelnut Production Guide: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/in... Perennial Crop Renewal Program (BC Hazelnut Re-plant program – funding to plant hazelnuts): https://iafbc.ca/pcrp/ BC Hazelnut Growers Association: https://bchga.ca/ Oregon State Production Guide: https://catalog.extension.oregonstate... Berkemeier Orchards (largest hazelnut orchard in Oregon): http://www.growinghazelnuts.com/ Purchase hazelnut trees: Local nurseries may sell trees and for larger orders, contact Zachary Fleming who sells high quality bare-root planting stock in the Fraser Valley. Email: [email protected] KOOTENAY & BOUNDARY FARM ADVISORS: https://kbfa.ca/ The Kootenay & Boundary Farm Advisors (KBFA) is an agricultural extension program that provides producers with free, technical production support and information. KBFA supports producers to improve agricultural production and efficiency by helping to find solutions to farm-specific production issues, coordinating educational events, and connecting producers to information.