Overview

Two major varieties of walnuts are grown in the United States—the English walnut and the black walnut. The English walnut originated in Persia (now Iran). Commercially produced varieties are nearly all hybrids of the English walnut. The Northern California black walnut is primarily used as the rootstock for English walnut cultivars.

California produces 99 percent of the nation’s commercial English walnuts with almost all production taking place in the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys.  March 2013 ...  English Walnuts


Other Links

• Daniels Family Farm, Porterville, California - This farm family sells English walnuts to wholesalers and directly to consumers. The family processes and ships approximately 25 tons of nuts annually.
• Diamond Walnut of California - Founded in 1912, Diamond Walnut was the nation’s only cooperatively owned walnut processing and marketing company until 2005, when members voted to become a stockholder-owned corporation. Diamond Foods Inc. trades on the NASDAQ National Market under the symbol 'DMND.'
• The Domestic Impacts of the Walnut Marketing Board’s Marketing Programs, Harry M. Kaiser, Cornell University, NICPRE Quarterly, 2002 - This study reviews issues related to the effectiveness of the Walnut Marketing Board’s marketing programs.
• Farmers' Market Came in the Nick of Time - The Van Mourik Farm of Escalon, California, explains how selling directly to consumers through farmers' markets helped keep the farm going.
• Fruit and Tree Nuts Outlook, Economic Research Service, USDA - This government outlook report, issued every other month, includes production, consumption, trade and pricing information.
• Noncitrus Fruits and Nuts, National Agricultural Statistical Service, USDA.
• Northern Nut Growers Association, Inc. Experts on Persian Walnuts - Experts on Persian (English) walnuts may be located by selecting the Persian walnut box on this link.
• Sample Costs to Establish a Walnut Orchard and Produce Walnuts, University of California Cooperative Extension, 2013.
• Sample Costs to Hull and Dry Walnuts, University of California Cooperative Extension, 2009.
• Tree Nuts: World Markets & Trade, Foreign Agricultural Service, USDA.
• Walnut, Integrated Pest Management guidelines, University of California, Davis.  
• Walnut Index, University of California, Davis - This site provides links to other walnut resources.
• Walnut Marketing Board, California Walnut Commission - This board was established in 1933 to represent California walnut growers and handlers.

Links checked January 2012.