These numbers are nuts.

[peaceful_life]

'Why is the future of the world nuts? And how? Find out in this one-hour introductory talk given by Philip Rutter at the 2011 Badgersett Woody Ag Short Course. Covers the big-picture why and how of Woody Agriculture, and sets the stage for the rest of the course'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpJR2yfLUU0

http://badgersett.com/info/woodyag1.html

Some seriously good information shared from the very lucid mind of Phil.

[emordnilap]

Thanks for that p_l. Downloading it now for later viewing. It just shows one depressing image for abut three minutes into the talk. You have to hang on in there.

[peaceful_life]

Thanks for that p_l. Downloading it now for later viewing. It just shows one depressing image for abut three minutes into the talk. You have to hang on in there.

You're welcome.

Yeah....sorry, I should of mentioned that the images do change and that the whole talk does build inertia. Well worth taking some notes and asking your local library (assuming they've not been turned into flats or soup *kitchens*(?) yet) to stock his/their book.

http://www.chelseagreen.com/bookstore/i ... _hazelnuts

Here's some review quotes (from another stockist) by some folk that know a thing or two* about this kind of thing....

"A more resilient future requires diverse and hardy food-bearing crops. Growing Hybrid Hazelnuts is an encyclopedia of the 'how-to' and 'why-for' of breeding, growing, harvesting and marketing this unique and important crop. We just planted 300 hazelnuts last year!”--Nathan John Hagens, Editor, TheOilDrum; President, Bottleneck Foundation



"If you are dissatisfied with the current state of the annual based agriculture system currently dominated by corn and soy, then here is an alternative. This book is an action plan building off of Phil Rutter’s thirty years of experience, where you can become part of the actual on-the-ground change towards building a perennial woody system that conserves resources while providing for human needs."--Diego Footer, Founder of Permaculture Voices



"This book is not only a testament to 40 years of dedicated hazel breeding work, but also a call for more tree crops for a sustainable agriculture in general; a fantastic manual about all aspects of cultivating hardy hazel trees and processing their nuts."--Martin Crawford, author of Creating a Forest Garden



"The authors of Growing Hybrid Hazelnuts have been advocating woody-plant staple crops for carbon sequestration since I was in high school. This manual provides theory, context, budgets, and practical details like pest management and fertility for this important new crop. Worth the price for the information on their innovative hybrid swarm breeding system alone.”--Eric Toensmeier, author of Paradise Lot and coauthor of Edible Forest Gardens



“Growing Hybrid Hazelnuts is a compelling work combining natural history, genetics, and ecology to form a rich strategy for breeding hardy, disease-resistant, and productive hazelnuts. The need for perennial staple crops is great, and the authors show that it takes time, integrity, and patience to develop a crop that will feed the world. This book not only completely covers hybrid hazelnut cultivation, it also offers a roadmap for breeding other crops if we are to get serious about regenerative perennial food production."--Steve Gabriel, coauthor of Farming the Woods

[emordnilap]

There are hazels hereabouts but maybe they're old, it's years since I (or anyone I know) saw nuts on them.

We've just planted half a dozen; should have done it 15 years ago...

[peaceful_life]

There are hazels hereabouts but maybe they're old, it's years since I (or anyone I know) saw nuts on them.

We've just planted half a dozen; should have done it 15 years ago...

These have been bred to be more of a bush rather than the conventional tree that we'd know, also the nuts are far bigger than usual.

I've posted this before (I think) but it's worth the viewing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtbOt6eoZtU

I now wish I'd done nothing but tend a tree nursery for my whole, working life, but hey...when, and if, the penny does drop, then I expect plenty demand, but even still.......

“A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.”~Old Greek saying.

[RenewableCandy]

How do they deal with squirrels (squirrels eat most of the hazels in Chateau Renewable)?

[woodburner]

They make Brunswick pie

[adam2]

I was going to recommend a large fierce cat, but IIRC you are not very keen on cats.

Apart from shooting the pests, that only leaves anti-climb guards around the tree trunks to prevent squirrels from climbing, not just the nut trees but any trees from which they can jump or climb onto the nut trees.

Anti climbing things can be made from hard shiny plastic or lightweight metal, or they can be purchased.

[RenewableCandy]

Plenty of cats saunter through our garden but the lazy b***ers can't be arsed to chase squirrels

[woodburner]

No cat is likely to tackle a squirrel. Squirrels are nasty bastds, and being a bit sneeky could out climb any cat.

[emordnilap]

How do they deal with squirrels (squirrels eat most of the hazels in Chateau Renewable)?

It's the same as with any property incursion, you have to protect it as best possible. Every tree in the vicinity must be made unclimbable/unreachable by squirrels. That's all there is to it. The ideal is an orchard surrounded by unclimbable fence.

There are repellents, which need to be regularly applied and may deter beneficial creatures. Then there are nets covering the whole tree/bush, which can be chewed through.

Barring an enclosed orchard, a collar round each tree is your only man and even then, not 100%. And keep branches away from buildings.

You can use a flexible metal (tin, say) to make the equivalent of a dog's satellite dish but for the tree. Very simple to make.

[adam2]

No cat is likely to tackle a squirrel. Squirrels are nasty bastds, and being a bit sneeky could out climb any cat.

I suppose that it depends on the cat. My cat used to routinely kill squirrels, he was a clever cat and used to wait on the shed roof until a squirrel was on the ground and then jump onto the squirrel who had little opportunity for escape.

[RenewableCandy]

Blimey!

I'd love to see footage of that

[fuzzy]

I wouldn't want to be the vet who had to examine that cat.

[Catweazle]

Squirrels are tough little buggers, and cause a lot of damage, but like all animals they deserve a quick and humane end if you have to remove them. Don't set a small trap for a squirrel, use a powerful fenn trap, properly set, and check it often.