The “meet the growers” section on the American Hazelnut Company website reads,

We are not young. We have planted hazelnuts that will outlive us, growing old with our children and grandchildren. As our descendants watch the climate continue to change, the deep hazel roots will hold strong through heavier and heavier storms and longer and longer droughts. We plant hazelnuts because they are resilient. Because they will nourish our communities – human, animal, and soil – for decades as the world changes around them. This will be our legacy.  

The hazelnuts found in Nutella are from European hazelnut trees, but the hazelnuts that are native to the Upper Midwest are the American hazelnut (Corylus americana). They are smaller and sweeter. The shrub-like tree is hardy and blight resistant, making it ideal for our Wisconsin winters, and the changing climate. In the early 2000s eco-conscience farmers across the Midwest began building planting hazelnuts. Today, growers in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Norther Iowa and Illinois are often growing hybrid hazelnuts–a cross between American and European hazelnuts.

On today’s show, host Douglas Haynes talks with hazelnut farmer Paul Ronsheim and UW-Extensions Woody Crops Specialist Jason Fischbach. They discuss the process of growing hazelnuts, how the early spring is impact the plants, and the numerous ways to cook with hazelnuts. You can find a bevy of recipes here.

Photos courtesy of American Hazelnut Company

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