Building the Upper Midwest Hazelnut Industry
We're not just growing hazelnuts. We're building a new agricultural industry.
Hazelnuts are native to the Upper Midwest, yet commercial hazelnut production is only beginning to emerge. The opportunity is extraordinary: a perennial crop that can create new income for farmers, strengthen rural economies, supply regional food businesses, and improve the health of our agricultural landscapes.
But successful industries don't emerge on their own.
Launching a new crop requires far more than planting orchards. It requires improved genetics, coordinated supply chains, processing infrastructure, access to capital, practical risk management, and strong markets that reward growers for their investment. Without these foundations, promising crops struggle to move beyond early adopters.
Midwest Hazelnuts, LLC exists to build those foundations.
We work alongside growers, researchers, processors, nurseries, investors, and industry partners to accelerate the development of a resilient, equitable, and economically sustainable hazelnut industry across the Upper Midwest.
Hazelnuts are native to the Upper Midwest, yet commercial hazelnut production is only beginning to emerge. The opportunity is extraordinary: a perennial crop that can create new income for farmers, strengthen rural economies, supply regional food businesses, and improve the health of our agricultural landscapes.
But successful industries don't emerge on their own.
Launching a new crop requires far more than planting orchards. It requires improved genetics, coordinated supply chains, processing infrastructure, access to capital, practical risk management, and strong markets that reward growers for their investment. Without these foundations, promising crops struggle to move beyond early adopters.
Midwest Hazelnuts, LLC exists to build those foundations.
We work alongside growers, researchers, processors, nurseries, investors, and industry partners to accelerate the development of a resilient, equitable, and economically sustainable hazelnut industry across the Upper Midwest.
From Research to Industry
Midwest Hazelnuts, LLC is the commercial spinout of more than two decades of research and development by the Upper Midwest Hazelnut Development Initiative (UMHDI).
Working together, UMHDI and Midwest Hazelnuts bridge the gap between scientific innovation and commercial success. We are translating years of advances in hazelnut breeding, genetics, production systems, and processing technologies into real opportunities for growers and rural communities.
Our vision extends beyond producing hazelnuts. We are building the interconnected businesses, infrastructure, and partnerships needed for an entirely new agricultural sector to thrive.
Every orchard planted, every processor developed, every new market opened, and every grower supported moves the Upper Midwest one step closer to becoming a world-class hazelnut-producing region.
Working together, UMHDI and Midwest Hazelnuts bridge the gap between scientific innovation and commercial success. We are translating years of advances in hazelnut breeding, genetics, production systems, and processing technologies into real opportunities for growers and rural communities.
Our vision extends beyond producing hazelnuts. We are building the interconnected businesses, infrastructure, and partnerships needed for an entirely new agricultural sector to thrive.
Every orchard planted, every processor developed, every new market opened, and every grower supported moves the Upper Midwest one step closer to becoming a world-class hazelnut-producing region.
Mission-driven. Steward-Owned.
We believe the strongest agricultural industries are built for generations—not quarterly returns.
Lasting industries require more than innovative crops. They require shared infrastructure, accessible markets, long-term investment, and an unwavering commitment to the people and landscapes that sustain them.
Midwest Hazelnuts, LLC was created with a purpose beyond profit. We are building more than a successful company—we are helping create an industry that generates meaningful economic opportunities for farmers, nurseries, food businesses, processors, and rural communities while restoring soil health, improving water quality, increasing biodiversity, and strengthening climate resilience through perennial agriculture and agroforestry.
As a mission-driven, steward-owned company, our purpose—not profit—guides every decision we make. Steward ownership separates economic rights from voting rights, ensuring that the company remains permanently accountable to its mission rather than the changing interests of owners or investors. Our responsibility is to the long-term success of the industry and the people who depend on it.
Together with the Upper Midwest Hazelnut Development Initiative, we are committed to:
Every investment we make, every partnership we build, and every business we support or help develop is measured against this mission. Our success is not defined solely by the growth of Midwest Hazelnuts, LLC, but by the strength of the industry we help create, the prosperity of the growers and rural communities we serve, and the healthier agricultural landscapes we leave to future generations.
Lasting industries require more than innovative crops. They require shared infrastructure, accessible markets, long-term investment, and an unwavering commitment to the people and landscapes that sustain them.
Midwest Hazelnuts, LLC was created with a purpose beyond profit. We are building more than a successful company—we are helping create an industry that generates meaningful economic opportunities for farmers, nurseries, food businesses, processors, and rural communities while restoring soil health, improving water quality, increasing biodiversity, and strengthening climate resilience through perennial agriculture and agroforestry.
As a mission-driven, steward-owned company, our purpose—not profit—guides every decision we make. Steward ownership separates economic rights from voting rights, ensuring that the company remains permanently accountable to its mission rather than the changing interests of owners or investors. Our responsibility is to the long-term success of the industry and the people who depend on it.
Together with the Upper Midwest Hazelnut Development Initiative, we are committed to:
- Providing equitable and strategic access to improved hazelnut genetics that enable sustainable industry growth.
- Building coordinated supply chains and reducing early production risk through a network of multipurpose Go-First Farms.
- Expanding open access to hazelnut processing infrastructure.
- Increasing access to affordable, efficient harvesting and de-husking equipment.
- Lowering barriers to entry by connecting growers with affordable sources of capital.
- Improving soil health, water quality, biodiversity, and climate resilience through alley cropping and other agroforestry practices.
Every investment we make, every partnership we build, and every business we support or help develop is measured against this mission. Our success is not defined solely by the growth of Midwest Hazelnuts, LLC, but by the strength of the industry we help create, the prosperity of the growers and rural communities we serve, and the healthier agricultural landscapes we leave to future generations.
Come Grow With Us
The Upper Midwest has the opportunity to create one of the world's leading hazelnut-producing regions—an industry rooted in innovation, profitability, and stewardship.
Whether you're a farmer, nursery, processor, researcher, investor, food business, or community partner, there's a place for you in building this future.
Together, we're creating a new crop, a new industry, and a lasting legacy for the Upper Midwest.
Whether you're a farmer, nursery, processor, researcher, investor, food business, or community partner, there's a place for you in building this future.
Together, we're creating a new crop, a new industry, and a lasting legacy for the Upper Midwest.