Hello all nut tree enthusiasts!

My name is Jonathan Bates and I started at CCE Tompkins County as the Agroforestry Educator in January 2025. My main directives right now are supporting hazelnut and chestnut growers, practitioners of agroforestry, and promoting all the USDA agroforestry practices with land stewards and wider community. (If you are interested in agroforestry or are already using it, please email me at jb2663@cornell.edu.)

Recently, I and others at CCE Tompkins County and collaborators in 2023 and 2024 compiled best management practices for hazelnut and chestnut producers, identified plant material that is promising for future needs of the NY nut growing community, recorded innovative models (biological, economical, managerial), and facilitated farmer to farmer experiences for communication, sharing, and learning. You can read more about this in the report, EFFECTIVE CHESTNUT AND HAZELNUT MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND IMPROVED GENETIC MATERIALS IN NEW YORK", supported by the NY Farm Viability Institute, and NY Tree Crops Alliance Cooperative.

CCE has also worked to help get better processing equipment for nut growing cooperatives. Everything is geared towards supporting those interested in growing nut crops, helping those already in the industry, and making it easier for the industry to expand.

We hope to be able to help facilitate the growth of this community and support you all through our work in the agriculture team at CCE.

We will be hosting agroforestry events this summer and fall. Visit our website to find out more!

Thanks and nice to meet you!