By Malinda Geisler, content specialist, Ag Marketing Resource Center, Iowa State University.
 
Revised June 2007.

Overview

U.S. chestnut production is less than 1 percent of total world production. The United States imported 4,634 metric tons of European in-shell chestnuts valued at $11.5 million in 2006. The top three exporting countries to the United States were Italy, China and the Republic of Korea. USDA does not report statistics on U.S. chestnut production and consumption separately.

The value of the nut is related to its size. Generally, the value of chestnuts ranges from $1.50 per pound wholesale to about $5 per pound retail. Chestnuts are primarily sold fresh in the shell.


Sources

• Chestnut Market Analysis Producers' Perspective, University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry, June 2005 - This report describes findings from a 2004 nationwide survey of the U.S. chestnut market.
• Chestnut Market Opportunities - Assessing Upscale Restaurant Interest in Value-added Chestnut Products, Southeast Iowa Nut Growers Cooperative (pdf), September 2002 - This study, conducted for the Southeast Iowa Nut Growers Cooperative by the Food Processing Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, indicated marketing opportunities for Midwest chestnut growers. 

Other Links

• American Chestnut Cooperators' Foundation - This nonprofit, scientific and educational foundation is dedicated to restoring the American chestnut.
• The American Chestnut Foundation - A nonprofit foundation dedicated to restoring the American chestnut.
• Assessing the Market Potential of Specialty Forest Products in Local Food Systems (pdf), Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Iowa State University, 2005 - This project evaluated the interest in and obstacles to the production and marketing of non-timber specialty forest products.
• Center for Agroforestry, University of Missouri.
• Chestnut Charlie's offers certified organic chestnuts, along with pecans and Christmas trees, from the farm north of Lawrence, Kansas.
• Chestnut Fact Sheets, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station - This links to several fact sheets compiled by the Connecticut Ag Experiment Station on chestnuts. Topics include breeding, cultivars, diseases and tree sources.
• Chestnut Growers of America - Online resources for chestnut growers and researchers.
• The Chestnut Grower’s Primer(pdf) - Basic information for growing chestnuts in Iowa is outlined in this case study. Types and history of chestnuts are included, along with advantages and disadvantages to consider before planting chestnuts for a cash crop. Steps for developing a successful chestnut crop are outlined, including how to develop a planting plan, plant care and maintenance, and how to overcome potential problems.
• Chestnut Hill Tree Farm of Alachua, Florida, is owned by the grandson of Dr. R.T. Dunstan, a plant breeder who developed the Dunstan Hybrid Chestnut. The Dunstan Chestnut is the most widely planted line of chestnut varieties in the United States.
• ChestnutsOnLine.com - The Allen Creek Farm in Ridgefield, Washington, ships chestnuts from the orchards to anywhere in the United States and Canada. The site also offers a growers’ forum.
• China Agricultural Data, Agricultural Issues Center, University of California, 2001 - Information on production, cost of production and trade.
• Colossal Orchards of Selah, Washington, has more than 18 acres of chestnut trees of which 1,580 are currently producing. The nuts are harvested mechanically in October, then hand sorted and inspected.
• Correia Chestnut Farm, located in the Sacramento River Delta in California, raises and sells Colossal and Italian Marroni varieties of chestnuts. This small family farm has been raising chestnuts since 1998, using sustainable farming practices.
• Delmarvelous Farms - This chestnut farm, based in the Delaware peninsula, has more than 1,600 chestnut trees. It grows and ships chestnuts to customers across the United States. The Web site also offers recipes and tips on how to prepare and store fresh chestnuts.
• Empire Chestnut Company of Carrollton, Ohio, is one of the few chestnut orchards in the United States that is considered to be commercial in size. The orchard produces nursery stock and between 10,000 and 30,000 pounds of nuts annually.
• Establishing the Orchard, ChestnutsOnLine.com - This site provides estimated costs of establishing a chestnut orchard.
• Growing Chestnut Trees, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station - This fact sheet is a guide for choosing the right chestnut species, planting site and providing proper care.
• Growing Chinese Chestnuts in Missouri, University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry, 2006 - This online guide, written for Missouri, includes a grower's calendar.
• Nolin River Nut Tree Nursery of Upton, Kentucky, is a family-owned and -operated nursery that markets grafted nut trees. In addition to chestnuts, the nursery also offers walnuts, butternuts, pecans and hickories.
• Northern Nut Growers Association, Inc. - This Web site provides information and resources related to nut tree production. Select the “experts” link to find people who specialize in chestnuts.
• Southeast Iowa Nut Growers Co-op (pdf), Ag Marketing Resource Center - This business profile tells about a group of about 40 chestnut growers who pool their crop and sell it through a marketing coordinator.
• Western Chestnut Growers Association - This organization was incorporated in 1996 to promote chestnuts in Western North America.

Links checked February 2008.