INGA 2023 Annual Nut Evaluation

Saturday, February 18th, 2023, Wickiup Hill Learning Center, Toddville IA

The 2023 INGA Nut Evaluation is scheduled for Saturday, February 18th at Wickiup Hill Learning Center located at 10260 Morris Hills Rd. Toddville Iowa. We will begin at 10:30 am and process and score nut samples until we have worked through all the submissions. This will be a potluck lunch, so please bring your favorite dish to share and some service ware.

At 1:30 Jeff has organized an Iowa Hazelnut Project Meeting to bring together existing growers with new growers to learn from one another as well as learn about a value-added processing opportunity for a shared mobile nut cracking facility on wheels. And as a special treat, Jim Flamming, a local stick carver, will be sharing his stick collection and some of the pieces he has made, many of them from hazelnut wood. Don't miss this chance to see some really beautiful walking canes/sticks.

Anyone can submit a sample for the nut evaluation, member or not, resident of the state of Iowa or not, it is not important; just send the sample. We are generally looking for specific trees or shrubs, that is to say, a particularly good tree or shrub that produces nice nuts; it might be a grafted cultivar or just a "wild" tree or shrub.

A proper sample for walnuts, hickories, pecans, butternuts, heartnuts, etc. is roughly 12 nuts; hazelnuts 20. Only 5 are actually scored for the walnuts, hickories, and others….. 10 nuts for hazelnuts but extras are good.

Select husk free and clean nuts for the sample. Keep nuts stored in a cool dry place (warm storage temperatures for pro-longed periods of time tend to cause the kernels to become rancid) and which have not been allowed to become excessively dry (very dry nuts allow the seal to open up and the kernels to become brittle leading to shattering of the kernel when the shell is cracked).

Be sure to write your name and conatct information on the sample bag for identification purposes. Please also include the variety name if it is known. Other information to include is whether it is a native or seedlings you planted. When you join us for the nut evaluation don't forget to bring your "nippers" if you have them. Bring all of your samples for the nut evaluation - Black Walnut, Carpathian Walnut, Shagbark or Shellbark Hickory, Hican, Butternut, Hazelnut, Pecan, and Heartnut. Samples can also be mailed to Jeff Jensen, 3404 20th Ave, Fenton IA 50539

Click here for Nut Evaluation Press Release

Click here for Nut Evaluation Flyer



Eastern Iowa Hazelnut Learning Group

Saturday, February 18th 1:30 to 3:30

The INGA is hosting a hazelnut learning group and field trip on Saturday, February 18th at Wickiup Hill Learning Center located at 10260 Morris Hills Rd. Toddville Iowa. The event will begin at 1:30 and will feature local stick carver and collector Jim Flamming from Cedar Rapids who will show us some of his work and some of the sticks he collects. A panel of growers will share their experiences growing hazelnuts as part of the IA Hazelnut Project; and Dell Lawrence will show off the first nuts that were produced at the hazelnut test plot. Jeff Jensen will lead a discussion around the need and opportunity for a mobile processing facility before we disburse to visit the hazelnut test plot at the Dell Lawrence farm located at 1290 Marion Airport Rd. Marion Iowa

Click here for Nut Evaluation Press Release



Upper Midwest Hazelnut Growers Conference 2023

March 3rd and 4th 2023, Decorah, Iowa

Join the Iowa Nut Growers Association in beautiful Decorah Iowa on Friday March 3rd and Saturday March 4th for the 14th Annual Upper Midwest Hazelnut Growers Conference. We have a great line-up of speakers and presentations from around the Midwest so don't miss this opportunity to learn from the experts.

Friday is a processing open house from 3:00 to 5:00 and then show-n-tell from 6:00 to 8:00 at the Winneshiek County Fairgrounds. Show-n-tell is a great way to share what exciting things growers have going on. Discovered your first nut? We want to know about it. Finally have enough nuts to start processing? We want to hear about it. Just plant your first seedlings? Tell us about it! Show-n-tell is your chance for 10 minutes of fame and to share your experiences with others.

Saturday we'll gather at the Hotel Winneshiek in downtown Decorah starting at 8:30 to hear some really great presenters on a range of topics including, cost share opportunities, an update on genetics, branding, new cultivars, and more. At noon we will recognize our grower of the year award. Registration is $50 and includes lunch on Saturday the 4th. Registration is live at the Trees Forever website found at this link https://treesforever.org/event/2023-upper-midwest-hazelnut-growers-conference/

Are y a farm or organization that wants to exhibit? Cost is $100 for a table and includes one paid registration. Contact Jeff Jensen at 515-320-6756 or jjensen@treesforever.org

Click here for Nut Growers Press Release

Click here for Nut Growers Flyer

Click here for Nut Growers Agenda

Click here for link to conference promotion video


News

Press Release- For Immedieate Release
Iowa Nut Growers Association, contact Jeff Jensen, 515-320-6756 jeff@jenagres.com


IA Nut Growers 2023 Annual Nut Judging

Send in your nut samples today!

Toddville, Iowa (Jan. 30th 2023) - The Iowa Nut Growers Association (INGA) will be hosting the annual nut judging competition at Wickiup Hill Learning Center located at 10260 Morris Hills Rd. Toddville Iowa on Saturday, February 18th from 10:30 am to noon. A potluck lunch will follow the evaluation so bring your favorite dish to share.

The INGA has been conducting the annual nut evaluation since the late 1960's. A formal process with scoring sheets is used to crack, process, and score the nut samples. Some of the best black walnuts available today came from amateur growers that submitted samples back in the sixties and seventies. Everyone is welcome to learn about how it is done and to help process some samples.

According to INGA President ary Ellen Miller, anyone can submit a sample for the nut evaluation; you don't have to be a member and you don't have to live in Iowa. She encourages anyone with samples to send them in for scoring. A proper sample for walnuts, hickories, pecans, butternuts, heartnuts, etc. is roughly 12 nuts; hazelnuts need a few more at 20. Select husk free and clean nuts for the sample.

Be sure to write your name and contact information on the sample bag for identification purposes. Please also include the variety name if it is known. Other information to include is whether it is a native or seedlings you planted.

The following species are scored - Black Walnut, Carpathian Walnut, Shagbark and Shellbark Hickory, Hican, Butternut, Hazelnut, Pecan, and Heartnut. Samples can also be mailed to Jeff Jensen, 3404 20th Ave, Fenton IA 50539

For more information about the nut evaluation and the Iowa Nut Growers Association, visit their website at https://iowanutgrowers.com


For a PDF of the press release, click jeff@jenagres.com or via phone at 515-320-6756 or Mary Ellen Miller, INGA President, at rosehaven1760@gmail.com or via phone at 515.783.6390.

Hazelnut Academy Starts Jan. 20th

Enrollment Open for Iowa Nut Growers Associaton Course

FENTON, Iowa (Jan. 5nd 2023) - The Iowa Nut Growers Association is enrolling individuals for the Hazelnut Academy course that starts on Friday, January 20th. This six-session course will take attendees through the entire process of understanding the opportunities and challenges of growing hazelnuts in the Midwest.

Topics include hazelnut basics, planning a planting, establishing seedlings, where to get plants, care and mainteneance, harvest and processing, as welll as marketing, record keeping, and food safety. For full details and schedule visit the Iowa Nut Growers website at https://iowanutgrowers.com

Instructor Jeff Jensen with the Iowa Nut Growers Association and lead contact for the IA Hazelnut Project, will educate and entertain attendees over the course of six sessions, each about an hour long.

"This is a great course for anyone interested in hazelnuts specifically, or agroforestry in general, because many of the lessons are applicable to other nut crops as well," said Jeff Jensen with the Iowa Nut Growers Association.

The course is offered online through Zoom so registration is required to receive the Zoom link to attend. All sessions will be in the evenings from 6:00 to 7:30 pm. Contact Jeff Jensen at jeff@jenagres.com or via phone at 515-320-6756. Register online at this link: https://forms.office.com/r/6AcTtdYF07.

To view a .pdf of this press release, click here.

Session 1 - Friday, Jan. 20th IA Hazelnut Project: the future of Iowa is nuts!
Session 2 - Friday, Jan 27th Hazelnut Primer: the good, the bad, and the ugly
Session 3 - Friday, Feb. 3rd Planning: the best laid plans of mice and men
Session 4 - Friday, Feb 10th Planting & Maintenance: caring for your investment
Session 5 - Friday, Feb 17th Harvesting & Processing: Basics
Session 6 - Friday, Feb. 24th Marketing, record keeping, food safety