Profitable Orchard Crop
GREAT DEMAND
The U.S. is the only country in the world that can grow chestnuts that
does not have a large commercial chestnut industry. The U.S. imports $20
million of chestnuts yearly because there are fewer than 2,500 acres of
chestnut orchards in the U.S. It would take 10,000 acres of producing
chestnut orchards to supply what we import!
American-grown
nuts can reach the market sooner, fresher, and bring a higher price
than imports, which are often low in quality. U.S. consumption is less
than 1 ounce per person per year, but is 1 pound per capita in Europe
and 2 pounds per capita in Asia. It would take 120,000 acres of chestnut
orchards to supply U.S. consumption at European levels and create a
$300 million new agricultural industry for America! Growers who produce
high quality chestnuts in America will have a virtually unlimited market
available to them for many years to come.
VERY PROFITABLE ORCHARD CROP
Chestnuts
are initially planted on a 20'x20' spacing (=108/trees/acre). They can
be thinned when the crowns start to touch (12-15 years). Chestnuts are
relatively easy to grow and do not have many of the problems of other
tree crops. Orchards should be irrigated at establishment. The use of
Grow Tubes helps protect the young trees. Good soil and site location
is important and they should not be located in valley frost pockets.
With good water, fertilization and weed control, they should thrive in
most locations. In some regions, chestnuts will need to be sprayed to
control chestnut weevils, which infect the nuts. Chestnut Gall Wasp, a
pest accidentally imported from Asia, has declined as a problem across
the eastern U.S. By growing blight-resistant cultivars, blight is not
an issue (this is not true with susceptible Euro-Japanese hybrids such
as Collosal). Deer can be destructive to young trees (tree tubes help
prevent this) and there are repellents available, but none as good as a
dog and a rifle!
"..the Dunstan seedlings have grown
into fine trees and at least one was undamaged in the Easter 2007 freeze. It
bore heavily in 2008. These Dunstan hybrid seedling
chestnuts are as large, good flavored and stored as well as any of the Chinese
cultivars."
Dr. Hill Craddock, University of Tennesee at Chattanooga, chestnut researcher
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Chestnuts
are harvested by hand or can be mechanically harvested with large
vacuum-style harvesters or pecan harvesters. The nuts are removed from
the burrs by hand or with a pecan cleaner (see picture below). Nuts are
then soaked in water for 24 hours and must be stored in a walk-in
cooler to prevent spoilage until sold.
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There
are many markets for chestnuts. Thanksgiving and Christmas are
traditional times for selling your crop - every one can sing the song!
Local groceries, ethnic (especially Asian) markets, restaurants, and
farmers markets are all good places to sell chestnuts. Dunstan
Chestnuts are visibly superior in size, quality and freshness and bring a
much better price than the often poor quality imports seen in the
stores. The growers we speak with say they never have enough chestnuts
to supply the demand!
Chestnuts
are a profitable tree crop that can provide good income with relatively
low inputs once the trees are established. Harvest is the only time
when there is a high demand for labor. They are a good cash crop to mix
with other crops on a working homestead and can provide cash flow even
from a small acreage.
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