Sames, Amanda2016-03-292016-03-292015https://hdl.handle.net/11299/178539The MN Hazelnut Foundation (MNHF) was formed in 2008 with a mission of growing hazelnuts, hazelnut farmers, and hazelnut farming through outreach, education, and collaboration between members and their communities. Using the UofM SE Regional Partnership’s successful Byerly’s Apple Pie project as a model, this project will convene a focus group specific to hazelnuts to work through potential food product and marketing strategy in order to maintain and stimulate hazelnut production. A graduate assistant is needed to interview MN Hazelnut Foundation members about what they are currently doing with their nuts, products they are selling and to whom and strategize about other possible uses for locally grown hazelnuts. The graduate assistant will compile the interviews into a report, start of list of information of researchers who can contribute to product development components, and also convene a focus group of hazelnut buyers from the Twin Cities. All of this will be compiled into a final report where the results will be published and shared with existing and new growers so they are aware of the marketing avenues available before growing.enReport