Could New Jersey become a hub for hazelnut production? That's what researchers at Rutgers University are hoping for after receiving support from hazelnut chocolate maker Ferrero.

Size, sort and shell - it's the name of the game for Hazelnut farmers who are using the equipment on a Rutgers University hazelnut farm.

The hazelnut farmer is one of a few in the state who has started to reap the benefits from the crop they planted a decade ago.

Professor Thomas Molnar has been working with hazelnuts, leading the effort to help New Jersey become a production hub. But it hasn't been easy, because of Eastern Filbert Blight disease.

"We planted thousands of trees expecting most would die…through traditional breeding, we were able to take that resistance and make some really quality, high-yielding hazelnuts," says Molnar.

Now, the university is benefiting from the hazelnuts of their labor, using their success on the farm to teach other farmers about how to grow hazelnuts in New Jersey.

"The thing that we're lacking right now is experience...beyond just trying to develop better trees that can grow here and produce nuts. It's also the educational component on, ‘How do I design my orchard?’ and ‘How to take care of my orchard?’” Molnar said.

Ferrero Group, the company that buys the majority of the world's hazelnuts and also produces Nutella, recently awarded a $170,000 grant to the university to help forward research.

"Having Ferrero interested in supporting what we do gives us confidence but also could give growers confidence that we have backing," said Molnar.

The majority of the hazelnuts in grocery stores now come from overseas.

Molnar says locally, he hopes to see that change as the 40 farmers across the state start to harvest their crops in the next three or four years.