Organic and interested hazelnut growers are invited to join the Oregon Organic Hazelnut Collective for their Summer Tour, this year taking place at Avelino Farms 30-acre organic Jefferson hazelnut orchard.  Come learn about their Italian influenced, unique growing practices, followed by lunch and organic hazelnut industry presentations at Cascade Foods.

Farm Tour at Avelino Farms- Owner Michael Carpentiero

Coffee and a light breakfast will be served, please bring a coffee cup to help promote sustainability.

Learn about the distinctive methods used on Avelino’s 30-acre organic orchard, including overhead drip irrigation, ground cover maintenance with a side disc flail, and Facma harvest equipment from Italy that can be used on orchard floors with ground cover. You will also be able to check out their modular, turn-key wash/dry equipment for small-scale operations. Brim Tractor will be demonstrating the 25-HP Solectrac electric tractor.

The afternoon program at Cascade Foods

Lunch will be catered by Boujee Bites with a focus on farm-fresh & organic. Don’t forget to bring a cup or water bottle!

-The Cost of Production: SARE Grant update-Tanya Murray from Oregon Tilth and Ben Larson from My Brother’s Farm

-IPM in Organic Systems- Nik Wiman, OSU Orchard Crops Extension Specialist

-Panel: Marketing Organic Hazelnuts- Mary Birkemeier from Meridian Orchards, Stacy Kraker from Hummingbird Wholesale, and Jed White from Cascade Foods

–An overview of the Washington State Organic Hazelnut Growers – Alex Beggs

–Case Study on the Organic Certification Process- Bruce Kaser from Pratum Farms

Please feel free to contact us with any questions at oregonorganichazelnuts@gmail.com