Chestnuts History

The American chestnut (Castanea dentata) was once a predominant tree species in the forests of the eastern U.S., with a population of nearly four billion. These trees were among the largest, tallest, and fastest-growing in these forests. However, a devastating blight caused by an invasive fungus significantly reduced their numbers in the early 20th century. The American people and wildlife were deprived of the nutritious chestnuts, but in the past 50 years, dedicated men and women have worked tirelessly to develop hybrid nut varieties capable of growing in orchard settings worldwide. We have secured 750 of the finest tree varieties for cultivating large, tasty, and nutritious nuts in the eastern United States. By combining the most flavorful nut producers with some of the nation's prime farmland, we are now producing chestnuts in the Connecticut River Valley, known for yielding some of the world's finest crops for many years..