The Chestnut Grower

Contributed by: Ben and Sandy Bole; Photos: Harvey Correia

On July 9th, the annual meeting attendees met at the Sweetbrier Inn in Tualatin, Oregon, to assemble for the trip to Woodburn Fertilizer Company in Woodburn, Oregon. Woodburn Fertilizer Company, a division of Wilbur-Ellis, is a major supplier of custom blended fertilizer mixes for the widely varied agricultural enterprises in the Willamette Valley and the surrounding area. Andy Burlingham led the group on a very informative tour of the extensive storage and blending facility. Woodburn Fertilizer is also a receiving station for the many varieties of grass seed that are grown in the Willamette Valley. Grass seed cleaning, blending and storing is a significant part of their business

Anthony Boutard explaining the organic products he uses in his diversified operation that includes a young chestnut planting.

Our next stop was Ayers Creek Farm in Gaston, Oregon. Ayers Creek Farm is owned by Carol and Anthony Boutard. The operation is totally organic and they specialize in fruits, vegetables and grains grown in smaller quantities and sold through local farmer’s markets. The varieties that they grow are chosen for their flavor, nutritional value and adaptability to the soil and climate of Ayers Creek Farm. There also is a young chestnut orchard primarily planted to French varieties. The Boutard’s approach to the organic production of food crops is very enlightening.

Lunch and the annual meeting were at Magness Tree Farm in Sherwood, Oregon. Magness Tree Farm is owned by the World Forestry Center in Portland. It is an educational facility designed to promote sustainable forestry practices. The most significant item on the agenda for the annual meeting was the approval by the membership of the name change to "Chestnut Growers of America".

After the business meeting, Heather Samm of the Food Alliance gave a presentation on how the Food Alliance works to promote sustainable agriculture through producer certification and coordination of the marketing of Food Alliance certified products to Food Alliance Distributor Partners and Food Alliance Food Service Partners nationwide. Jeff Olsen of the Oregon State University Extension Service led an open forum for the discussion of various chestnut growing questions, ranging from pruning and grafting to nutrients and shot hole borer.

Ben Bole explaining the operation of his mower (mows in the tree row).

Nearby Ladd Hill Orchards was the final stop of the day. After a tour of the orchard and the fresh chestnut processing line, the group checked out the processing line for shelling dried chestnuts and the state certified processing room that is required when a food product is produced for sale. After the shell has been removed from a chestnut, it is then considered a food product and must then be handled in a state approved food processing facility for processing and packaging. Dinner followed under the trees at Sandy and Ben Bole’s home.

On Sunday morning we traveled to Carolyn and Ray Young’s Allen Creek Farm in Ridgefield, WA. The Youngs also have a state approved food processing facility in which they grind chestnut flour and make their wide variety of added value chestnut products. The new barn that will house their chestnut drier had recently been erected.

Carolyn Young discusses their value-added products. Stone mill for processing chestnut flour in background.

After lunch in Hood River, Oregon, the wind surfing center of the United States, we visited Kim and Mark Beam at Nutquacker Farm. The Beams purchased a Savage Harvester in 2004. It can be pulled by their Gator and it was of great interest to the group. The Beams are included on an orchard driving tour through the Hood River Valley, and they sell a great deal of their production from the farm. We concluded the tour and the meeting weekend with a visit to Dan and Lynn Roberge’s young chestnut orchard on a hill overlooking the Hood River Valley. This will be an organic orchard when it comes into production in a year or so.