Chilliwack hazelnut farmer Helmut Hooge has high hopes for the future of hazelnuts.
He hosted the 鈥檚 field day at his farm Saturday, showcasing the resurgence of hazelnut production in the Fraser Valley.
鈥淭here was a fair bit of interest,鈥� he said. 鈥淓veryone was amazed at how big the trees were.鈥�
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Hooge, former president of the BCHGA, was one of the farmers participating in trials of three distinct varieties of hazelnut trees, and their pollinators. And now he鈥檚 also glad to show how they鈥檙e doing.
Prospective and former hazelnut farmers, as well as agriculture students and profs, were among the crowd of more than 100 who showed up to the field day.
There were experts giving harvesting and pruning tips, as well as a tour of the fields.
The industry is starting to get re-established after being devastated by Eastern Filbert Blight. It first showed up in Chilliwack on 2008.
Everyone鈥檚 crops had to be removed and burned.
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But today the future looks a lot brighter.
So much so that it was Hooge鈥檚 hazelnuts from Chilliwack, that were specially ordered one year ago by Chef Ned Bell and served to Prince William and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, at a Taste of BC event in Kelowna.
The Fraser Valley has near ideal growing conditions, and not that many other places in the world can claim that.
鈥淚t鈥檚 our winter climate,鈥� said Hooge.
Hazelnuts flower in the middle of winter, in January, as long as the temperatures are mild enough.
Some filbert farmers are starting over, like Hooge, having replanted with special blight-resistant varieties.
鈥淥ur industry wants to get back to where it once was in terms of production,鈥� Hooge said. 鈥淲e think there will be more acres planted in the years to come.鈥�
In its heyday they had 1,200 acres in production. Now they鈥檙e aiming to get 1,000 acres going.
鈥淲e know the industry is going to grow again and it means that marketing is going to improve as well,鈥� he said.
jfeinberg@theprogress.com
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