In researching some of the chestnut cultivars in the UMCA “Descriptions of Chestnut Cultivars for Nut Production in the Eastern and Midwestern United States”, I saw that someone named ‘E.A. Riehl’ was listed in these. Imagine my surprise that his farm was in Godfrey, Illinois, just up the bluff from Piasa Harbor. Our family had … Read more
As we continue planning our black walnut operation — with half an acre dedicated to nut production and half an acre set aside for timber — the timber side is likely going to be Purdue HTIRC Timber Select seedlings and Purdue #1 seedlings, but which cultivar should we plant on the nut production side? After … Read more
There are some plants that were popularized based on good intentions, and some that genuinely have almost all good qualities, and no serious negatives. Some are ecological disasters wrapped in good intentions, and autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata) is exhibit A. When we bought our property, autumn olive was already here—hundreds of stems colonizing every wooded … Read more
Elderberries seem like they should be easy. They’re native, they grow wild in ditches and fence rows. How hard could it be to plant a few improved cultivars and get a crop? Harder than it looks, as I learned. I planted nine elderberry bushes across two years—six Pocahontas in 2024 and three Bob Gordon in … Read more
There are shagbark hickory (Carya ovata) trees all over our property. They’re beautiful trees—distinctive peeling bark, golden fall color, nuts that squirrels go crazy for. I’ve walked past them many times and thought, “is there a good use for these, since they are so numerous?” So I started a little research. It’s not that shagbark … Read more
“Why aren’t you planting American chestnuts?” Many people in the US have never seen a chestnut. If they see some being served or for sale at an event, they may assume these are American chestnuts. But, the time for that to be true is probably off into the future. American chestnuts are an interesting story, … Read more
This article is about why we’re now seriously exploring expanding our hazelnut planting—and what you need to know if you’re considering the same. Why Hazelnut Potential is Changing In the central US, there is a native hazelnut – Corylus americana. This American hazelnut has cold hardiness and Eastern Filbert Blight (EFB) resistance. However, the American … Read more
We have black walnut trees all over our property. Big ones, productive ones, trees that drop hundreds of nuts every fall. So why did I spend $35 on 25 black walnut seeds from Indiana and dedicate half my winter to babysitting them in the refrigerator? The wild trees on the property? They’re a mixed bag … Read more
About ten years ago, we planted two grafted pecan trees on our Missouri farm. This is the story of this initial pecan tree planting, why we chose them, and what ten years of growth looks like for us. The Starting Point We started with a copy of the University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry … Read more
If you’ve spent any time researching black walnut, you’ve probably heard the idea: plant trees that produce premium timber worth $$$thousands per tree AND annual nut harvests. Double income from the same trees. Why wouldn’t you go for both? Here’s why: because even though you could set up a planting to achieve both goals, the … Read more