The Dunstan Hybrid American Chestnut tree will produce nuts in 1-3 years after planting. It may be the most sought after and highly demanded nut tree in the US. Present-day US growers that have established markets do not have nearly enough chestnuts in supply to meet the demand for their annual crop. Even though in 2024, the United States had 1,587 farms producing chestnuts on more than 4,200 acres, totaling  about 3.5 million pounds, with the majority of production occurring on small farms that sell to local markets.

However, in 2024 Americans consumed more than 7.5 million pounds of chestnuts, most of which were imported from Italy, China and South Korea.

To meet the US demand, it would take significantly more than the current 4,200 acres of chestnut orchards; most experts estimate 3,000 additional acres of chestnut groves could come close!       

Dunstan Chestnut Hybrid trees can be a very profitable crop source. They begin to bearing nuts within  3 to 5 years, and by 10 years can average producing as much as 15 lbs per tree. At maturity (15-20 years) they can average producing as much as 75 lbs per tree or up to 2,500 lbs per acre each year.

The most lucrative option is to sell nuts direct to consumers online. Many producers utilize online stores where they sell and ship to customers all over the US. They sell out quickly every year and get the highest prices in the industry. Fresh nuts retail for $6.50-$10.00 per pound and seed nuts (another huge market) can sell for as much as $15.00-$25.00 per pound.

Simply put, this is a cash return beyond pecans, hazelnuts, and many other tree crops!

The Dunstan American Chestnut Hybrid nut may be consumed raw but they’re sweeter if roasted; it is often said the American Dunstan Chestnut is “the sweetest nut on the planet” and during the ‘roasting’ process, “the sweet aroma is liked to that of baking cookies.”

Before Roasting, you must first “score” each chestnut otherwise they will “pop or explode” while Roasting. To properly score chestnuts, make an “X” shape cut on the rounded side of each chestnut using a sharp knife; make sure you pierce the outter shell but not the nutmeat, this will prevent them from exploding in the oven and equally important, will make peeling easier after preparation.