An explanation of why we use hazelnuts as our primary crop at Eden of the World

1. Hazelnuts produce an extraordinary amount of high-quality fats and protein¹. That makes them a more valuable crop for survival versus other tree crops that produce primarily sugars. Carbohydrates are the only macronutrient that our body doesn’t need. Fats and protein are essential!
   
2. Hazelnuts come in their own containers. That makes them easy to store and eat throughout the winter season. Fruit crops require extensive processing to keep for extended periods of time, and have a very short shelf life as fresh fruit.
   
3. Hazelnuts have a short period from planting to harvest² compared to other perennial crops. For example, a pecan tree can take 10 or more years to get to a harvest, but a hazelnut tree can potentially give a crop after as few as 3 years (or as many as 6)
   
4. Hazelnuts produce 5 million calories per acre, mostly fat and some protein with a small amount of carbohydrates. For context, corn produces 12 million calories per acre, but corn is mostly carbohydrates. Soybeans produce 6 million calories per acre, primarily protein with a fairly similar amount of fat and carbohydrates. ^{1 2 3 4}
   The major difference between hazelnuts and corn/soybeans is that hazelnuts are perennial instead of annual crops, which means that they require less inputs each year and build soil fertility instead of depleting the soil. This makes them a sustainable crop that increases in value every year instead of requiring constant inputs of chemical fertilizers! ⁸
   
5. Hazelnut shells are a valuable by-product. They can be burned as fuel in a machine called a gasifier and the resulting biofuel is extremely high-quality. ⁶ Hazelnut shells can be used to heat and power hazelnut processing plants and much more. Furthermore, the byproduct of gasification is something called biochar, a valuable soil amendment that helps turn rotting compost into dark, rich soil which is optimal for other crops.

Sold yet? Go ahead and check out our blog to follow along with us as we transform an abandoned hay field into a hazelnut orchard paradise!

¹ Comparison of macronutrient profiles of various staple food crops: https://youtu.be/vINVDKJQKcU?t=245

²https://www.starkbros.com/growing-guide/article/nut-trees-how-many-years-until-harvest

³https://www.soupersage.com/compare-nutrition/yellow-corn-vs-oats

⁴https://humaneherald.files.wordpress.com/2019/05/calories-and-protein-produced-per-acre-1.pdf

⁵ Home-made wood gasifier: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6e3CprVTi8

⁶https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0360544201000949

⁷Biochar quick primer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qVcEvKEfGc

⁸ https://www.arborday.org/programs/hazelnuts/consortium/agriculture.cfm