“Growing Nuts: What do we know about hazelnuts?” With Karina Sakalauskas from the BC Ministry of Agriculture & Food

Co-hosted by the ICAN/Garden Club Food Security Team

Quadra Island has many gardens and orchards that produce abundantly, providing fruit and vegetables to local gardeners year-round. However, two of the food types that we must presently import in quantity are oil and plant protein. There is no better way to address that gap than the hardy nut tree.  And perhaps the nut that has the most potential here is the hazelnut due to its ability to adapt to both drought and wet conditions, and its small size which makes it much easier to include on a property than some other nut trees.

The Garden Club and ICAN have been working in partnership for several years on the Quadra Food Security Team.  This team has received a grant to establish an ongoing local source of both oil and plant protein that does not require electricity to grow, harvest, or store.  Their goal is to begin a local “nut culture” through the planting of 100 strategically located, publicly accessible nut trees.

This evening will be an introduction and invitation to the Nut Tree Project and an educational presentation and discussion on growing hazelnut trees.

Join this session to learn about the potential for hazelnuts in BC. from orchard design to orchard establishment.

The talk will include:

• Hazelnut Biology
• Management considerations/New growers.
• Orchard design
  • Plant spacing
  • Soil management
  • Irrigation
• Orchard establishment
  • Scouting/Monitoring
  • Pruning
  • Weed management
  • Nutrient Management

About Our Speaker: Karina Sakalauskas is the Industry Specialist in Emerging Markets with the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food. She has been with the Ministry since 2017 when she undertook the role of Acting Berry Specialist.  She is from Argentina and attended the Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata where she completed her MSc in Agronomic Engineering.  Karina will be joining us via Zoom on the big screen at the hall.

We will be taking orders for hazelnut trees for those who are excited to plant them on their property.  We will place a bulk order and bring them to Quadra.

We will also have our usual Show and Tell Table where you get to show off your flowers, fruits, veggies, and preserves, and a Plant’n’Seed Sale Table for seeds and plants (please bring any you have to share) that you can buy for a donation to the Garden Club.  And save room cause there will be coffee and desserts at the concession!

Hope to see you there!

To join via Zoom, click HERE  Meeting ID: 869 2853 4173  Passcode: 046294