"I first had to learn for myself how delicious hazelnuts are when they are fresh"

Why are hardly any hazelnuts grown in Switzerland, even though they are so popular here as a snack or in chocolate and the hazelnut is still native to the country? Why do over 80% of the nuts eaten in this country come from Turkey, where working conditions are often poor and supply chains are not transparent? And why are only very few farmers venturing into hazelnut cultivation, even though hazelnuts can promote biodiversity and our climate is actually quite good for them?

We also asked ourselves all these questions and therefore, together with the farmer Stefan Gerber in Mettmenstetten, we developed our Hazelnut project started. Since 2022, we have been working with him to establish local hazelnut cultivation and do pioneering work in Switzerland. A lot has happened since the start of the project, but Stefan Gerber himself is the best person to tell us what we have achieved so far, what surprises and hurdles there have been and when we will probably be able to enjoy the local hazelnuts from Mettmenstetten for the first time. We asked Stefan five questions - here is a first interim assessment.

1. What has happened in the hazelnut project over the last two years?

Phuu some ... We have planted 1,600 hazelnut trees on 2.5 hectares and have also created a variety garden with 53 different varieties. With the help of the hazelnut variety garden, we want to find out which varieties are best suited to our Swiss climate and have the highest yields (→ Blog post on the flowering & pollination of hazel). In future, these findings will make it possible to provide interested farmers with variety recommendations for hazelnut cultivation in Switzerland. Although the hazelnut is native to Switzerland, there are almost no local hazelnuts: There is hardly any knowledge about the selection of varieties and successful cultivation, and it is difficult to obtain good planting material.

... and what was going on in terms of biodiversity?

Our aim is to establish the first large hazelnut plantation in the canton of Zurich in order to promote biodiversity in a tangible and local way. To this end, we have implemented various measures to promote biodiversity, such as planting a hedge last fall and flower strips for insects in the spring. All of these measures are scientifically monitored by Crowd Container: We have been taking soil samples and carrying out leaf analyses every year since 2021. Together with the Ö+L GmbH we are working on mapping as many species of flora and fauna on the farm as possible in an overall biodiversity inventory. And myclimate is preparing a life cycle assessment for us so that we know the CO2 emissions and the overall environmental impact of local hazelnut cultivation.

2. So there's been a lot going on at your farm over the last few months. What has surprised you the most?

The commitment of numerous volunteers from the Crowd Container Community. Without this support, many things would not have been possible! Over the last few months, we have been able to carry out various works in the park together. For example, we have planted trees and a diverse wild hedge, stabilized the young hazelnut trees with bamboo poles and repeatedly spread wood chips to suppress grass growth. That all took a lot of pressure off me. I was also very impressed by the interest and commitment from the community. 

3. Only a few farmers venture into hazelnut cultivation like you. Where do you see challenges and hurdles?

In general, the whole project is an experiment. The first few years are fundamentally a challenge, because I have little income and have to invest a lot, not only in cultivation and in the machines and tools, but above all in generating knowledge and collecting data, because this crop is largely new territory in Switzerland - even though our climate is actually quite good for hazelnuts and the nut is native here. This fact shows that there is still a lot of catching up to do compared to other crops. However, the establishment of a "new" crop also offers an opportunity to diversify and strengthen local agriculture. 

In addition to the collection of knowledge about varieties, the protection of hazelnut trees is currently a major issue. In recent years, for example, various producers in German-speaking Switzerland and in neighboring countries have suffered from fungal and tree bug infestations. Together with the two competence centers Inforama and Andermatt Biocontrol Suisse we are therefore trying to generate more knowledge with the aim of developing biological plant protection protocols for our climate.  

4 What's next for the hazelnut project? What work is coming up?

Hedge maintenance is currently underway on the grounds. The tall grass has almost overgrown some of the young hedge plants, so they need to be uncovered to get a little more light and less competition from water. There are also some Community events to help out to.

On Saturday, September 2, there will be another public guided tour through the hazelnut plantation. Last year's tour was met with great interest - in addition to consumers, media representatives, farmers and food processors were also among the participants. I am naturally very pleased about the broad interest in hazelnut cultivation. Raising awareness of innovation in agriculture, healthy nutrition and sustainable production is important. 

5. when can we enjoy your hazelnuts from Mettmenstetten?

This year, the trees are well hung and there are no signs of fungus yet. But the trees are still small. I therefore only expect a yield of a few dozen kilograms this year. A few lucky nut lovers will therefore be able to enjoy fresh hazelnuts from the Zürcher Säuliamt this year - depending on the quantity harvested, also via Crowd Container online store. For larger quantities, however, a little patience is still required. I don't expect to be able to serve a wider public until next year. I'm already looking forward to the first sensible harvest. I think the difference in quality compared to store-bought nuts is worth mentioning. I first had to learn for myself how delicious hazelnuts actually are when they are fresh.

Impressions from Mettmenstetten