Coon Creek producers offered priority access to hazelnut innovations through ‘Early Adopter’ pilot

Feb. 7, 2026

COON VALLEY, Wis.

Members of the Coon Creek Community Watershed Council (CCCWC) gathered Tuesday night to explore another production alternative that shows promise as a potential cash crop but would also fit with the organizations goal of developing the next generation of conservation practices the mitigate the impact of climate change.

The meeting on Feb. 4 brought residents together to discuss the future of the watershed in the wake of ongoing flood mitigation and ways to promote conservation and water infiltration. In an effort to bring new ideas and techniques to the members of the CCCWC the organization regularly hosts speakers and educators, and in the summer holds meetings at properties of watershed producers and conservationists.

Cultivating a New Industry

The keynote presentation Tuesday offered a concrete solution to that land management challenge. Jason Fischbach, the Emerging Crops Outreach Specialist for the University of Wisconsin Extension, outlined an ambitious vision for establishing a hazelnut industry in the Upper Midwest.

Fischbach, a founder of the Upper Midwest Hazelnut Development Initiative, presented the council with a plan to expand hazelnut production from small experimental plots to a major regional crop. He described a “valley of death” phase where the industry currently sits, hovering between research and full commercial viability.

“20,000 acres by 2030 in the Midwest,” said Fischbach. “That’s our goal.”

Fischbach explained that the program is not starting from scratch but is rather carrying the torch of a multi generational breeding project. He credited early Driftless region pioneers like Mark Shepherd and Phil Rutter for doing the initial work of crossing native American hazelnuts with European varieties. The goal has always been to combine the disease resistance and winter hardiness of the native plants with the size and productivity of the European nuts.

Fischbach stated that the initiative shipped out approximately 5,000 plants last year, but to achieve the project’s ambitious goal of establishing 20,000 acres of hazelnuts in the Midwest by 2030, Fischbach estimated that it would require roughly 9 million plants. He acknowledged the stark contrast between current production and the stated goal, noting that while there is a path to reach those numbers if tissue culture propagation issues are solved, the industry is currently sitting in a “valley of death” between research and full commercial viability.

However, Fischbach detailed how the industry is currently pivoting from planting seedlings to planting specific, cloned cultivars. He noted that early adopters who planted seedlings often faced inconsistent yields because every plant was genetically different.

“Nobody’s making money on 150 pounds of kernel per acre,” said Fischbach, referring to the yield of wild American hazelnuts. “We’re about 1500 to 1800 pounds of kernel per acre from these hybrids.”

Genetics and Varietal Performance

The presentation included a frank assessment of the genetic successes and failures encountered during decades of trials. Fischbach highlighted the “Adventure Series” of cultivars released by the program, which includes varieties named Ice Age, Trail Runner, Cash Forger and Adventure.

He specifically recommended a variety from Grimo Nut Nursery called Northern Blaze, citing its consistent performance across multiple trial years.

“Northern Blaze, we’re recommending,” said Fischbach. “It’s done well across all of our trials.”

Fischbach was equally transparent about the program’s failures. He described varieties that generated initial excitement but failed to perform in the harsh Wisconsin climate. He pointed to a variety known as “The Beast,” which was 75 percent European genetics.

“The Beast, which we call the least, because it also hasn’t produced much for nuts for us,” said Fischbach.

He also mentioned a variety called “Grand Traverse” that failed to produce significant yields in northern trials.

“We call [it] grand travesty because it hasn’t really ever produced nuts for us,” said Fischbach.

To maintain genetic diversity and ensure pollination, the program recommends planting these high yielding cultivars alongside rows of seedlings. This strategy creates a “boatload of pollen” while protecting the orchard from genetic bottlenecks.

Barriers to Scale

Despite the genetic breakthroughs, Fischbach outlined significant hurdles that remain before hazelnuts can become a landscape scale crop. The most pressing issue is propagation.

Fischbach explained that hazelnuts are notoriously difficult to root. While crops like willow or currants can be propagated easily by sticking cuttings in the ground, hazelnuts require more complex methods. The industry is currently waiting for tissue culture technology to catch up to demand.

“We have to go from one plant to 9 million,” said Fischbach. “It just takes time.”

Harvesting presents a second barrier. Fischbach dismissed the idea of hand harvesting for commercial production, noting that he can only harvest about 17 pounds of in shell nuts per hour by hand.

“The juice to squeeze ratio as I say isn’t very good,” said Fischbach.

He explained that while large olive harvesters work efficiently, they cost upwards of $450,000, a price tag prohibitive for individual farmers. The intermediate solution involves modifying blueberry pickers, which can be purchased used for approximately $15,000.

Processing is the third major bottleneck. Wisconsin lacks a cottage food law for hazelnuts, meaning growers cannot crack and sell nuts from their home kitchens. All processing must occur in a licensed facility. To address this, the initiative established “HazelWorks,” a pilot processing facility in Ashland housed in a former college building.

A Community Model for Growth

Fischbach presented a specific strategy for overcoming these economic hurdles: clustering. He introduced the concept of “Go First Farms” and “Early Adopter Commercial Partners.”

“Go First Farms” are designated sites where growers agree to plant at scale and open their doors for others to learn. There are currently 12 such farms in the region, half of which are in Wisconsin. These farmers accept the risk of being the first to trial new systems in exchange for technical support.

For the general membership of the Coon Creek Community Watershed Council, Fischbach proposed the “Early Adopter Commercial Partner” model. This approach encourages the council to act as an aggregator for its members.

“If we growers can work together if things are closer together it makes sharing costs a whole lot easier,” said Fischbach.

By pooling their orders through the council, individual growers can secure priority access to the limited supply of high quality plants and potentially negotiate lower prices. The goal is to bring the cost per plant down from $15 to around $6, mirroring the economics of the mature hazelnut industry in Oregon.

This clustering strategy also solves the infrastructure problem. If enough growers are located within a 25 mile radius, they can share a harvester and aggregate their nuts for shipping to a central processing facility.

Market Outlook

Fischbach emphasized that the market for hazelnuts is not the limiting factor. He noted that global demand for nuts currently exceeds supply, and he urged Midwest growers to focus on building premium brands rather than competing on the commodity market against massive producers in Turkey or Oregon.

“We have to build a brand,” said Fischbach. “If we’re just selling to Ferrero… if that’s our game, we’re going to lose.”

Pam Saunders of the American Hazelnut Company, who was present at the meeting, confirmed that buyers are waiting.

“Our customers don’t have enough,” said Saunders. “We have to keep on.”

Future Opportunities

The meeting concluded with a brief look at another perennial crop opportunity. Fischbach shared information about new seedless table grapes released by the University of Minnesota, specifically a variety called “Lumi Glow” which he described as having tropical flavor notes.

“These flavors are legit,” said Fischbach. “This is a product that will sell.”

The council will now consider whether to formally apply as an Early Adopter Commercial Partner, a step that would allow members to place pooled orders for the 2026 or 2027 planting seasons.