The Peru Gazette

The NNYADP-funded hazelnut trial was established at the Willsboro Research Farm on October 4, 2023. First-year project results will be shared on the farm’s July 10, 2024, field day. Photo: Michael H. Davis

Willsboro, New York. The farmer-driven Northern New York Agricultural Development Program (NNYADP) has published the first-year results of the hazelnut trials added to its “superfruits” research series in 2023.  The multi-stemmed wood perennial produces its “fruit” as nuts high in protein and oil, with 81 percent as healthy mono-unsaturated oleic acid. The trial’s first-year results are now publicly accessible at nnyagdev.org under

The trial will be highlighted on July 10, 2024, Field Day at the Willsboro Research Farm, 48 Sayward Lane, Willsboro, New York. The field day and tour are free, 1:30-4:00 pm, and open to the public.

“This research is evaluating the opportunity to add nut-producing perennial crops onto northern New York’s farms to diversify their income opportunities and biodiversity,” said NNYADP superfruits research leader and Willsboro Research Farm Manager Michael H. Davis, Ph.D.

According to Dr. Davis, hybrid hazelnuts are well-suited to northern New York growing conditions and can be integrated into a wide range of cropping systems, including orchard-style, agroforestry alley-cropping, and silvopasture.

Agronomist Myra Lawyer helped plant 116 seedlings representing eight varieties of American hazelnut at the Willsboro Research Farm in April and May of 2023. Lawyer provides agricultural assistance as an employee of the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission (NEIWPCC), working with the Lake Champlain Basin Program.

“As an agronomist and a conservationist, I am interested to begin seeing the trial data regarding expected positive environmental benefits from the hybrid hazelnut’s impact on soil health, biodiversity, and water quality,” Lawyer said.

Eight additional varieties of hybrid hazelnuts were added to the trial in the spring of 2024. Deer fencing was installed to protect the planting, and an oat-pea fall cover crop was seeded alongside one of the two rows of the trial.

Dr. Davis and SUNY Plattsburgh Assistant Professor of Biology and botanist Dr. Michael B. Burgess established the NNYADP-funded superfruits research, installing New York state’s first Juneberry nursery at the Willsboro Research Farm in 2013. The fruits there now include juneberry, honeyberry, aronia, and elderberry—all selected for their high antioxidant and phytonutrient value.

With a new grant from the NNYADP, Dr. Davis has recently established a small chestnut planting for evaluation as another high-value crop for northern New York growers.

The Northern New York Agricultural Development Program is funded by the New York State Legislature through the New York State Assembly and administered by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.