Poplar Grove Arbour

Poplar Grove Arbour has been producing organic hazelnuts at their orchard in Agassiz for more than 20 years. The hazelnut orchard was planted by Peter and Elizabeth Andres in 1986 with 1000 Barcelona hazelnut trees after being a beef operation for ten years. There were no trees on the property when purchased, and so Peter planted every one of the trees including oak, poplar and conifers on the farm himself.  Their farm has been certified organic since 2005.  In the spring of 2011 the plan is to take out part of the orchard and start the replanting of new varieties of immune and smaller trees.

The orchard produces about 15,000 pounds of nuts per year, of which more than three-quarters are sold to a factory in Agassiz that packages and processes nuts for commercial sales.  One-quarter of production is kept for year-round local sales at the Vancouver Farmers Markets and several others.  Poplar Grove Arbour sells Barcelona hazelnuts in the shell, kernels with the shell removed, roasted nuts, hazelnut flour and ground hazelnuts as well as creamy hazelnut butter. The latest product to be released in the spring of 2010 is a Hazelnut Skin Care lotion.

In early September and October he has “fresh green nuts” which are washed and hand-sorted and sold without forced-air drying. The flavour is very natural and moist, making the nuts taste like coconuts.  The harvested nuts are washed in a “Green Machine” and then sun-dryed so that the original fresh flavour is kept.  The entire family is involved in the orchard in one way or another from tree management to cleaning and sorting to the final product before taking it to the farmer’s markets.

On March 9, 2007 the Poplar Grove Arbour received BC Environmental Plan status, which is given to farms with sustainable practices that help protect the environment.  The Andres family believes the long term well-being of their farm depends in part on good quality soil, water, air, and other natural resources.  As such, good resource management must include the protection of the environment. For Poplar Grove Arbour, the farm has a natural waterway flowing along the side and through the farm, with vegetative riparian plantings so that wildlife is protected and has a natural feeding area and living space along the buffer zone edge of the waterway. 

Peter and Elizabeth Andres will be giving tours of their farm and teaching visitors about the industry and environmental stewardship.  Educators by profession and at heart, Peter and Elizabeth enjoy talking to people and teaching them about good food, hazelnuts, and agriculture in general.

Contact:
1611 Tranmer Rd, Agassiz
Tel: 604-796-2550