DP and I are starting a Chestnut farm in 2013

[sahmof2girls]

So dp brought up that he would like to start a chestnut farm, I thought he was joking.  I was totally into it, and he was like "Great!!!  I didn't think you would like the idea,"  So now we are on the research phase.  We are planning on doing mostly dunstan chestnuts, but also a few chinease chestnuts.  The start up is not bad at all, as we already have the land (that is the biggest investment)  Throughout our research we found that chestnuts are actually in high demand....who'd a thought.  The plants that we are most likely going to buy will not produce full fruit for 4 to 5 years, so that will give us time to work out the kinks in it.  We are going to make chestnut flower, and sell that also.  I'm very excitedDoes anyone have experience with farming chestnuts??? I would love to hear others experience with it.

[mamabearsoblessed]

I don't know anything about Chestnuts but this is wonderfully exciting!! Best wishes!!!

[DoubleDouble]

Chestnut ice cream is great! Maybe you could be a seasonal supplier to fancy ice cream shops?

[sahmof2girls]

That's a GREAT idea!!!!!

[beanma]

sounds very cool. i grew up with Chinese chestnuts in the backyard and do like me some chestnuts, but stepping on those burrs barefooted, yikes!

[FarmerBeth]

Have hazelnut experience but no chestnut experience.  I just think that's a really cool business you are researching.  I love making chestnut souffle (dessert type) at Christmas when they are available here.

[sahmof2girls]

We are very excited, dp actually txted me a pic from the grocers of chestnuts...lol.... He is like a kid in a candy store.  PLUS we need more time together and what better way than to have a chestnut farm

[mama_ness]

how exciting!!! 

i was just asking the other day if any chestnuts could grow in the midwest, but never did find the answer. now i know! 

does anyone know if you can make chestnut butter? 

[Owen'nZoe]

Originally Posted by mama_ness 

how exciting!!! 

i was just asking the other day if any chestnuts could grow in the midwest, but never did find the answer. now i know! 

does anyone know if you can make chestnut butter? 

Mama Ness -one of the last stands of American Chestnut is in Wisconsin so yes, they definitely do grow here. However, our trees are severely threatened by chestnut blight: http://dnr.wi.gov/wnrmag/html/stories/2002/aug02/chest.htm.

OP, what are your plans for managing blight? I'm surprised to hear that they are still commercially viable. Tell me more!

[FarmerBeth]

Originally Posted by Owen'nZoe 

Mama Ness -one of the last stands of American Chestnut is in Wisconsin so yes, they definitely do grow here. However, our trees are severely threatened by chestnut blight: http://dnr.wi.gov/wnrmag/html/stories/2002/aug02/chest.htm.

OP, what are your plans for managing blight? I'm surprised to hear that they are still commercially viable. Tell me more!

I'm wondering if chestnuts have come along like hazelnuts.  Hazelnut blight nearly wiped out much of North America's hazelnuts, including many of the wild ones here (although we do have a neighbour with a wild stand).  Fortunately, there has been a lot of progress in breeding blight resistant hazelnuts, and Ontario is rebuilding a fledgling industry.  My son and I are hoping that can happen here in Nova Scotia (before we moved way out in the sticks, we were really involved in urban farming projects, and hazelnuts were doing well in many home and community gardens).

I'd love to here from OP what sorts of varieties you're researching.

[sahmof2girls]

We are planning mostly dunstan chestnuts, they do not get blight quite as often if at all.....