In 2003, Norm and Mary Erickson broke ground on their dream of growing hazelnuts for food, fuel and native landscaping.  They planned to build a solar greenhouse and propagate plants. This past September, they welcomed members of CERTS-SE and the public to their farm at the edge of Lake City, MN,  and shared their hazelnut-growing experiments, tribulations and successes so far.

The Vision                                                                                                                                                             Norm talked to  the group about peak oil  and  the importance of creating an energy source on the landscape  and why on-farm energy production will become increasingly important.  

Norm says, “We are enthusiastic about hazelnuts because of their versatility as a food product in the short term and as a biodiesel oil source in the long term. Crude oil production is poised to peak and begin to fall in a few years, if it has not already happened.  Low input, high productivity (perennial) biofuel crops are going to help us through the adjustment period of very high conventional fuels prices and increasing shortages.

"Hazelnuts have the potential to become the preferred on-farm biodiesel energy crop. We will be doing seed selection and crossing for several markets, one being landscaping/parks, where  nut production AND fall coloration are important considerations. These hybrid   bushes are drought and EFB resistant and produce nuts prized by people and  wildlife. We will begin shipping hazelnuts from our greenhouse in 2009.”

Growing the Hazelnuts                                                                                                                                                      The spring of 2004, the Ericksons hand-planted 1000 hazelnut seedlings that arrived in tubes. First they soaked the seedlings and inserted into the ground using a dibble They mulched with wood chips and watered. And they battled weeds galore, hoeing, pulling and  finally spraying the weeds to give the seedlings a good start.

Every year, more seedlings have been planted. In 2005, Norm and Mary planted 3,000 seedlings, this time by machine, but  lost over 60% because of drought conditions.  In 2006, they replanted the losses and established a germinating bed with 1200 plants. In 2007, another 1500 year-old seedlings were planted.

Suppressing the weeds until the hazelnuts are big enough to fend for themselves been an ongoing challenge. The second year they tried planting hairy vetch for erosion control but it covered the  hazelnuts, and had to be controlled with glycosphate. They planted winter rye one fall, to be tilled in the next spring, but it grew so high so fast in the spring they couldn't find the hazelnuts!  Norm is also worried about  pocket gophers eating the roots so is waging war on them. He erected three raptor perches and has seen hawks on all three.

The seedlings take three years to begin bearing nuts.  This past summer, Norm and Mary enjoyed their first harvest -- 14 pounds of hazelnuts from a few dozen bushes. These first bushes grew from 3 1/2 feet to 7 feet tall last summer--they should produce heavily next summer.

Norm will next begin planting his most precocious bushes into breeding clusters. In addition to  growing plants for best production, he intends to select for traits such as fall color for landscaping plants.

Energy-Efficient Structures                                  
 Norm has constructed a root cellar  into the side of a hill where plants will be held before planting. He has nearly completed a large passive solar greenhouse intended for hazelnut propagation.  This building  has low-E tempered glass and will eventually have sensors and software to study its performance.  The greenhouse will utilize the concept of seasonal thermal energy storage, with the goal of being able to operate about 8+ months a year without any external energy source except power for ventilation fans. 
 

For more information e-mail 
Norm Erickson at norme2@charter.net