Roasted chestnuts are an iconic holiday treat.
A little known fact is that, at the turn of the century, much of our Eastern forest was Chestnut trees. The nuts were a staple food for people and other animals. Resistant to weather and rot, Chestnut was the favored wood for fence posts, railroad ties, and flooring.
But you rarely see a Chestnut tree today. In 1904, some wiseacre imported Chinese Chestnut trees, introducing the blight that wiped out almost all of the native American Chestnut trees.
Ever since, attempts have been made to re-establish the noble Chestnut, with limited success. Blight-resistant hybrids have been developed, and the Chestnut is finally making a comeback.
The Chestnut is quite a versatile food, as the nuts may be dried, and may be ground into a delicious flour that can substitute for wheat flour.
We are proudly harvesting the first bounty from the trees we planted a few years ago. We'll be planting seeds around our farm and forest this fall. Enjoy some Chestnuts this holiday season, and give some as gifts. You will be promoting the return of a wonderful tree to the North American forest!
Our yarns, nuts, and particularly our garden seeds, make perfect holiday gifts in synergy with our shared goals of environmental protection, sustainability, and food security.
Consider our wide range of heirloom vegetable, herb, and flower seeds as gifts or stocking stuffers this year ~ grow your own and promote genetic diversity!
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