Planting a Nutty Future: How SilvoCulture Is Cultivating Resilience in the Mid-Atlantic BY TAYLOR LOGSDON GREEN NEWS & VIEWS
A mature chestnut orchard is a special place — the dappled shade, WKHUXVWOHRIOHDYHVRYHUKHDGWKHFUXQFKRIEXUUVRQWKHJURXQG,W¶V a productive agricultural system that happens to feel more like a spa- cious forest or city park. 2YHUWKHSDVW¿YHVHDVRQV,KDYHKDGWKHSOHDVXUHRIKHOSLQJVWHZ - DUGDQGKDUYHVWIURPD\HDUROGFKHVWQXWRUFKDUGQHDU)UHGHULFN 0'7KLVRUFKDUGWKRXJKODUJHO\OHIWXQWHQGHGIRUGHFDGHVSURGXFHV an abundant crop of carbohydrate-rich, nutritious nuts each year — OLNHPDQQDUDLQLQJIURPKHDYHQ7KLVDQQXDOR̆ HULQJRIVXVWHQDQFH has not only attracted our attention but also feeds the wildlife of the area: deer, squirrels, bears, and wild turkeys. Though beautiful in their own right, these are not just trees; they are JHQHUDWLRQDOSURYLGHUVR̆ HULQJIRRGDQGQRXULVKPHQW\HDUDIWHU\HDU The chestnut is known as the bread tree, a perennial grain that grows QRWIURPDQQXDO¿HOGVEXWIURPORQJOLYHGWUHHV²UHVLOLHQWURRWHG and regenerative. $FURVVWKHKLOOVDQGKROOHUVRIWKH0LG$WODQWLFDTXLHWUHYROXWLRQLV JURZLQJRQHQXWWUHHDWDWLPH$W6LOYR&XOWXUHDJUDVVURRWVQRQSUR¿W IRXQGHGLQ ZHDUHKHOSLQJWRVRZWKHVHHGVRIDSHUHQQLDOIXWXUH a regional economy rooted in nut trees like chestnuts, hickories and KD]HOQXWV ZZZVLOYRFXOWXUHRUJ %\EOHQGLQJHFRORJLFDOUHVWRUDWLRQ with local food security and economic opportunity, we are creating a model that revives the land, enriches communities, and builds on ancient land-based traditions. Agroforestry — the intentional integration of trees and shrubs into agricultural systems — has been practiced by land-based and indige- QRXVFXOWXUHVDURXQGWKHZRUOGIRUPLOOHQQLD,QWKHHDUO\WKFHQ - tury, agronomist J. Russell Smith helped articulate this vision for an American audience with his book 7UHH&URSV $3HUPDQHQW$JULFXO - ture . Smith warned of the erosion he was witnessing across the coun- try from the planting of annual crops, and proposed tree crops as a perennial solution. We are bringing this vision to life in a modern, regional context through practical, community-based action. Building a ‘Nutwork’: Cultivating Chestnuts and Community Chestnuts are central to our mission. Once a dominant tree in the eastern U.S., the American chestnut was decimated by blight in the HDUO\WKFHQWXU\7RGD\GLVHDVHUHVLVWDQWK\EULG&KHVWQXWV²EUHG IURP $PHULFDQ &KLQHVH DQG (XURSHDQ YDULHWLHV ² R̆ HU DQ RSSRU - tunity to blend forestry with agriculture with annual bearing carbo- K\GUDWHULFKQXWV7KHVHKDUG\DWWUDFWLYHWUHHVFDQSURGXFHWR SRXQGVRIQXWVSHUDFUHDQQXDOO\RQFHPDWXUHIHWFKLQJSUHPL - um prices in fresh local markets and with the potential for value-add- HGSURGXFWVVXFKDVJOXWHQIUHHÀRXUDQGHYHQFKHVWQXWEHHU While getting nut trees in the ground is vital, so is the cultivation of a community of growers, enthusiasts and consumers who can to- gether support and nourish orchards for decades to come. Through workshops, demonstration sites, and accessible guides, we teach re- generative planting practices like swales for passive water harvesting, QLWURJHQ¿[LQJFRPSDQLRQSODQWVDQGGHQVHPXOFKLQJ )HOORZ QXW HQWKXVLDVW 0DWW *UDVRQ GHWDLOHG VRPH RI WKLV ZRUN in his article, “Building a Nutwork”, which articulates the collaborative H̆ RUW UHTXLUHG WR WUDQVIRUP ORZPDLQWHQDQFH ORFDO WUHH FURSV LQWR viable staples and economic drivers. We embody this approach by fos- tering partnerships, sharing knowledge, and establishing cooperative
infrastructure. ,PSRUWDQWO\ZH¶UHQRWDORQHLQWKLVZRUN6LOYR&XOWXUHLVSDUWRID JURZLQJQDWLRQDOPRYHPHQWRIRUJDQL]DWLRQVZRUNLQJWRUHVWRUHSHUHQ - nial food systems and create regional economies based on well-adapt- ed nut and fruit crops. Other groups contributing to this broader ef- fort include the Keystone Tree Crops Cooperative, the 1HZ<RUN7UHH Crops Alliance, and the 6DYDQQD ,QVWLWXWH , among others. Together, we form a vibrant ecosystem of innovation and mutual support. ,QDGGLWLRQZLWKVXSSRUWIURPJUDQWVOLNHWKH0DU\ODQG6SHFLDOW\ Crop Block Grant and Northeast SARE, we’re identifying post-harvest processing hubs and piloting cooperative infrastructure. We’re plant- LQJ RUFKDUGV DQG IRRG IRUHVWV ZLWK VXSSRUW IURP WKH 0'$ +HDOWK\ Soils Competitive Fund, Chesapeake Bay Trust, and 0DU\ODQG 'H - partment of Natural Resources. Our annual Chestnut Roast features a chestnut-themed meal, chestnut beer, and talks on agroforestry and nut trees, drawing hundreds to celebrate and learn. Separately, our downtown Frederick roastings bring the season’s harvest directly to the public, where we roast and sell chestnuts during the holiday sea- VRQR̆ HULQJDWDVWHRISHUHQQLDODEXQGDQFHRQEXVWOLQJZLQWHUVLGH - walks. From Land Matchmaking to Legacy Through working with a diverse group of stakeholders, we help match landowners with agroforestry stewards, advise on long-term leases for perennial crops, and consult on orchard and food forest de- sign. Our long-term goal? One million nut trees planted across the 0LG$WODQWLF%XWPRUHWKDQMXVWQXPEHUVRXUPLVVLRQLVWRVKLIWKRZ people relate to land — from short-term extraction to long-term re- JHQHUDWLRQ,W¶VDPRGHOIRUUHSOLFDWLRQDVZHOODVDPRYHPHQWURRWHG in legacy, where the plantings of today nourish communities for gen- erations to come. As the movement to restore ecology in agriculture gains momen- tum, and more land stewards seek alternatives to conventional pro-
60—PATHWAYS—Fall 25
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