Advancing Ontario’s hazelnut production

Mar 27, 2018

The province’s hazelnut association celebrates nine years and counting

The Ontario Hazelnut Association is holding its ninth annual Hazelnut Symposium in London today.

Over 135 attendees are participating in the full-day conference at the Four Points Sheraton in London, Ont. The group is learning and sharing information about the production of hazelnuts in Ontario.

Speakers at the symposium include staff from OMAFRA, the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association, and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. In addition, industry speakers include Growers Mineral Solutions, Grimo Nursey and Ferrero. The topics covered include soil health, agronomic information, food safety issues and marketing. At the end of the day, a grower panel is designed to provide first-hand insights into production.

“The Association is very pleased with the fantastic turnout of today. We are equally thrilled with the strong line-up of speakers and participants. We expect another excellent Symposium this year,” Linda Grimo, chair of the Ontario Hazelnut Association said.

The industry in Ontario has been growing through the establishment of new orchards as well as the expansion of existing ones. Anchored by the large Ferrero processing plant in Brantford, the potential for hazelnuts in the province is substantial.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.