A sustainable bioeconomy will require multi-functional crops that efficiently produce commodities of food, fuel, or feedstock while providing the essential ecosystem services of cycling nutrients, conserving soil, building soil fertility, storing carbon, and protecting surface and groundwater quality. Hazelnuts (Corylus spp.) have been identified as such a potential perennial “multifunctional” crop perfect for the bioeconomy in many areas of the central U.S. Hazelnuts can be grown in single-species plantings or used in multi-species agroforestry plantings, both of which are an excellent fit for the Conservation Reserve Program and riparian plantings.

established strip of hazelnuts
Hazelnuts planted in a strip.
Photo courtesy of Brent McCown.

In our region, bush-type hazelnuts, including the two native species, America hazelnut (Corylus americana) and beaked hazelnut (C. cornuta), and their hybrids with the European species, C. avellana, produce nuts that can be eaten fresh, included in value-added foods, or pressed into oil, with the high protein meal fed to livestock. The nuts are high in healthful monounsaturated fatty acids, vitamin E, thiamine and fiber; the oil has nutritional properties similar to olive oil as well as being highly desirable for biodiesel; and the shells and coppice wood are suited for next-generation biofuels.

Resources

Growing Hazelnuts in Minnesota

Upper Midwest Hazelnut Development Initiative


Interest is increasing in developing American hazelnut as a crop in its own right, not just for its genetic contribution to hybrids. The U.S. Upper Midwest is situated in the center of diversity of American hazelnut and current work indicates that the genetic diversity is immense, but unexplored. Given the tremendous potential of bush-type hazelnuts as a specialty crop that can contribute to a more diversified farm economy, a collaborative multi-institution approach toward development and commercialization of the hazelnut industry in the Upper Midwest has been initiated with a number of objectives:

  1. Improve the crop characteristics of American and hybrid hazelnuts.
  2. Develop low-cost and commercially appropriate clonal propagation techniques for hazelnuts.
  3. Develop best-management practices for establishment and management of hazelnuts plantings in open field and agroforestry settings.
  4. Develop hazelnut farming enterprise budgets.
  5. Facilitate the formation of grower networks interested in hazelnut production and marketing.