My approach is inspired by a French attitude of training, addressing the notions of apprenticeship and of mentoring which implies the transfer of cultural inheritance. I work only with a very small number of students at a time who learn to apply themselves in all aspects of the subject. These are not demonstration classes with 30 students, but courses of study designed for those interested in hand-crafting a professional perspective. . . Over ninety percent of the country s production comes from here.
Tonnage varies because hazelnuts are a biennial crop.
They do well in a climate like Oregon s governed by maritime moderation according to Mike Wilhoit, a hazelnut grower in Yamhill County. The trees grow close enough for their branches to arc and extend to meet each other. They create an umbrella of dense shade with a filtered light that makes me think of Romanesque churches in France, and also have low arches. On a morning in Indian Summer, with the moisture of earth giving off a heady richness, the contrast of exquisite autumnal light outside a grove, and the silent, dappled shade within makes you breathe a little deeper, and walk a little slower. It demands a meditative appreciation.