Good new resource for northern fruits and their uses.....

....along with link for a PDF download of the document in one place.

https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/publications/lawns-gardens-trees/the-windbreak-cookbook-featuring-fruits-of-prairie-forests

Thanks for the link. I have access to about half of the listed berries there, though I'd love to have some Hazelnut/Plums as I find halfway through the season that picking small berries becomes a tedious task. The only larger fruit we have around here are crabapples and very few of them.

Jarret Hynd wrote: The only larger fruit we have around here are crabapples and very few of them.

Yeah, I can relate to the limitations of what will grow.  As for crabapples, I've taken to using even the hardier, small fruit from flowering crabs and pairing them in jams with nannyberries (Viburnum lentago) since the Nanny's are about the last thing to ripen and, outside of the relatively large seed, are prune-like in texture.  The flavor combo is pretty good.  The years that we have good wild plum crops are a cause for celebration, since they are a bit spotty otherwise. And although aronias are hardy for the region we've not had great success with their durability in our heavy clay soil....if that's even the problem.  But for the existence of some of these small fruits, however, it would be rather slim pickens to be sure. Does the University of Manitoba or Saskatoon have any hazelnut releases you could try?

We don't have nannyberries here, at least not in our area. When hawthorn is ready it's has a sort of gummy texture to it and has a very fruity taste (not sure how to describe it), so I might try that with the crabapples.

John Weiland wrote:
And although aronias are hardy for the region we've not had great success with their durability in our heavy clay soil....if that's even the problem.  But for the existence of some of these small fruits, however, it would be rather slim pickens to be sure.

I am lucky enough to be in an area where there are many natural small ponds and valleys around which create different ideal micro environments. On one pasture I maintain that has a valley, it's clay on one ridge and is a sandy loam on the other side. Lots of "edges" around here

John Weiland wrote:Does the University of Manitoba or Saskatoon have any hazelnut releases you could try?

I checked about 2 years ago, but checking again just now it seems things haven't changed:

The Hazelnuts being bred at the University of Saskatchewan are hybrids between wild prairie and cultivated European types crossed with advanced breeding lines from the Oregon breeding program. The hazelnuts are at an early stage of development and require another generation to begin bearing. Many of our selections are self blanching (the paper is removed during cracking). This characteristic is desirable for baking and candy.

We have not released any cultivars to the general permies, but over 5000 hazelnut seedlings have been distributed as part of our ongoing hazelnut cooperative testing program.

So a No from them, and from what I remember reading in the "cooperative"(add a cough here when you read it) program outline, there were a bunch of restrictions, guidelines to follow and paperwork to fill out which didn't appeal to me.

There is a tree nursery in Alberta which I ordered my seabuckthorn from and they said hazelnuts didn't produce well this year. It was apparently so bad that their supplier won't have stock until 2019, and that is if things go well in 2018. There are some Hazelnuts that grow wild in the southern part of the province, so there must be some kind of development with them going on down there, such as a hazelnut orchard. I'm sure it's just a matter of taking some time to find contacts. I did find an ideal habitat once I get some though, it just needs some organic material which shouldn't be any trouble. A neighbour has about 20 cords or more of deadfall about a 1/4 mile away which I'm sure he wouldn't mind me cutting up.

Growing nut and fruit trees in the north can be challenging, but it makes the reward much more worth it for me.

Jarret Hynd wrote:... There are some Hazelnuts that grow wild in the southern part of the province, so there must be some kind of development with them going on down there, such as a hazelnut orchard. I'm sure it's just a matter of taking some time to find contacts.

Don't know to what extent you can get stock from the U.S.  I had noted in a different thread a breeder who was crossing European stock with native stock from just south of the Canadian border within NW Minnesota...an area rated as zone 3.  He may be farther along in those efforts and if the material is allowed across the border, may be something at least to try:  http://riverbendhazelnuts.blogspot.com/p/introduction.html

John Weiland wrote:

Jarret Hynd wrote:... There are some Hazelnuts that grow wild in the southern part of the province, so there must be some kind of development with them going on down there, such as a hazelnut orchard. I'm sure it's just a matter of taking some time to find contacts.

Don't know to what extent you can get stock from the U.S.  I had noted in a different thread a breeder who was crossing European stock with native stock from just south of the Canadian border within NW Minnesota...an area rated as zone 3.  He may be farther along in those efforts and if the material is allowed across the border, may be something at least to try:  http://riverbendhazelnuts.blogspot.com/p/introduction.html

Thank you very much, I appreciate the help. Unfortunately I found this:

Shipment of plants to Canada we do NOT currently ship plants to Canada. Sadly, shipment has become less reliable in recent years, and we will not start shipping plants to Canada again until we've got a distributor there

Maybe if the tree nursery in Alberta asked them for some they might make an exception. There are nurseries on the east coast with hazelnuts, but they want to sell 1' seedlings for $20 each.

Also, after some research, it seems I may have remembered incorrectly. Info suggests that beaked hazelnuts are more northern than southern here. I have some friends who are mid-province, maybe they might have some contacts.

I also found this site which seems promising. I'll contact them and ask some questions. Thanks again for rekindling my interest in this project.