About ECSONG

The Society of Ontario Nut Growers (SONG) was formed in 1972, and its province-wide membership is approximately 300. Its purpose is:

• To promote interest in nut-bearing plants, their products and their culture.
• To promote scientific research in the breeding and culture of nut bearing plants suited to Ontario conditions.
• To encourage planting of improved varieties in gardens and orchards, on farms and public lands.
• To disseminate information on propagation techniques and cultural practices,
• To provide opportunities for closer association among nut growers.

In 1978, Filmore R. Park and Alec C. Jones co-founded the Ottawa Area Chapter of SONG to advance the purpose in Eastern Ontario, which has different growing conditions from the other regions in Ontario. In 1991, the Chapter name was changed to the Eastern Chapter of SONG (ECSONG) to reflect an expanded mandate to serve the larger Eastern Ontario region. Today ECSONG has about 100 members.

ECSONG encourages the establishment of demonstration and research nut groves in collaboration with land-owners. Today, it operates several public nut groves in order to conduct research, and to demonstrate hands-on all aspects of nut growing to the public, government, industry and academia.

ECSONG provides advice, assistance and consultation on nut growing to members and others several ways:

• Outdoor, hands-on Spring and Fall field days are held at each of the Nut Groves from time to time.
• An indoor Winter Meeting is held on the third Saturday of January in the Conference Room, The Ottawa Citizen Building, 1100 Baxter Road, Ottawa;
• Through our display booth at various trade shows and exhibitions in the region from time to time;
• Through maintaining a technical library of documents and a photo library of slides, prints and videos;
• Publishing reference works, to date a nut cookbook and a nut growers manual for eastern Ontario, on the growing, and the uses of the fruits and other parts, of nut bearing trees and shrubs;
• Mapping the location of locally growing nut bearing trees and shrubs to discover species and varieties that grow successfully in the region, and thereby to identify natural seed and stock sources; and
• Through our web site http://www.songonline.ca/ecsong/

Officers of ECSONG Over the Years