May’s Friday Morning Coffee

May’s Friday Morning Coffee ☕️

Grab your favorite mug and join us virtually for our monthly Friday Morning Coffee. This month, we’re excited to welcome Colin and Jason from Midwest Hazelnuts & we will talk about some possibilities/opportunities for hazelnuts here in the Midwest…

Jason Fischbach, Co-Founder, Midwest Hazelnuts
Jason is the Emerging Crops Outreach Specialist with UW-Extension and also a Co-Founder (Mission Steward) of Midwest Hazelnuts. Through the Upper Midwest Hazelnut Development Initiative (UMHDI), he has been deeply involved in hazelnut breeding, agronomy, processing, and early market development for 20 years. His work at UW focuses on developing dual purpose agricultural production systems that provide income for farmers while also protecting soil and water quality. Over the years he has also formed and managed four agricultural businesses. He holds a Masters in Agroecology and lives outside of Ashland, Wisconsin with his family.

Colin Cureton, Co-Founder, Midwest Hazelnuts
Colin is the Co-Founder of Midwest Hazelnuts and an emerging serial entrepreneur in regenerative agriculture. For seven years, he led the commercialization program for the University of Minnesota Forever Green Initiative, which is developing new perennial and winter annual crops for the Upper Midwest including winter camelina, pennycress, Kernza perennial grain, winter barley, hybrid winter rye, and hazelnuts. In 2023, he became impatient with the pace of change and began pursuing entrepreneurship. He participated in and won an international venture-building competition in the Netherlands, and since has Co-Founded three regenerative agriculture start-up including Midwest Hazelnuts, Overstory Ventures, and Manto Foods. Prior to this he held multiple role over 15 years to advance US food and agricultural systems change. He holds dual Masters in Applied Economics and Food and Energy Policy and lives in Saint Paul, Minnesota with his family.

Whether you’re in the office or on the farm, all you need is a good internet connection and a hot cup of coffee. Looking forward to seeing you on screen!

Best,