Taking a crack at hazelnut production
Eastern filbert blight: A history
By Nicholas Van Allen
For many years, hazelnut farming has been confined to the Pacific Northwest – in places like Oregon, Washington State and British Columbia. But, with grower trials now underway in Ontario and new science, Ontario’s hazelnut growers are on the cusp of major industry expansion.
In many ways, the evolution of hazelnut farming has been shaped by the presence of the eastern filbert blight, a canker disease which infects hazelnut trees.