HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1998-03-18, Page 26Page 10 - Farm Progress '98
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Paul Bennett shows a nut growing inside a protective bonnet.
Nut grove venture is growing
by Tracey Doerr
/t's been 12 years in the
works and one of these
days, Paul and Barbara
Bennett hope to have
enough success with their
nut grove, to branch out to
commercial markets.
Mill Creek Nut
Company, located just ou,
side of Paisley, was the
brain child of Paul, a for-
, mer mill wright.
Before starting with the
venture, Bennett had never
seen a nut tree but was
interested in knowing all
he could about nut produc-
tion. So when he spotted
an advertisement for a nut
tree auction in Toronto, it
was something he just
couldn't miss.
"We bought this prop-
erty with the intent of
putting a nut grove on it.
And it developed from
there," said Bennett about
his 1.00 acres in Bruce
Township
The Bennetts were the
first to own a commercial
nut grove this side of
British Columbia.
However, the couple
won't be ready to take on
commercial husiness until
they have a couple suc-
cessful seasons with 'their
grove.
Continuing research,
experimenting with fertil-
izers and watching the
weather all contributes to
the success of a nut grove.
But it's the weather that
has been hindering its suc-
cess.
"At minus 30 you start
to lose pollen and at minus
35, all the male flowers
are dead. The few degrees
in temperature makes the
difference between having
pollen or no pollen. No
pollen means no nuts,"
said Bennett.
The problem is potassi-
um. Bennett said the trees
don't get enough of it
before the, winter comes
and so the male flower on
the tree often freezes and
dies.
This winter, things are
looking better.
"It's been mild which is
definitely good as long as
it doesn't get too warm,"
said Bennett. Bennett said
too high of temperatures
could calrse the trees to
bloom out of season.
The orchard of 2.700
hazelnut trees, and the
remaining. a mixture of
other nut trees, produce a
few hundred pounds of
nuts a year. While this
isn't enough for selling
commercially, it is enough
to open a pick -your -own
business for this year,
which the couple plans to
do..
The nuts mature!
between mid-September
and late October. Trees are
pruned in February and
blossom in mid-March.
And while nuts are not the
couple's bread and butter,
another self -owned busi-
ness, Mill Creek Seed
Company, is.
The Bennetts make bird
seed using a number of
ingredients to best suit the
birds of the season. The
product is sold in towns
from Calgary to Prince
Edward Island.
Checklist for' PTO's
Do all PTO s have
shields and guards in
place?
- Is there a master shield
in place where your PTO
meets the tractor?
- Are shields on PTO s
checked periodically to
ensure that they rotate
freely?(check only with
power off)
- Before leaving the trac-
tor seat. is the PTO always
disengaged. engine shut
off and keys removed?
- When working with
PTO driven equipment, is
clothing close -fitting, long
hair covered, and no
Iaces,etc.,exposed?
- Do you always avoid
stepping over a PTO
shaft?
- Are worn or defective
parts replaced as soon w
possible?