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Branching Out: Growing Together: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Melanie Jones
Branching Out: Growing Together – Your gateway to the world of small-scale nut and fruit tree farming, hosted by Melanie Jones from her picturesque chestnut farm in Kentucky. Join Melanie and her guests as they explore the latest trends, innovations, and personal stories from the chestnut industry and beyond. Whether you're a seasoned grower, a curious landowner, or dreaming of rural living, this podcast offers expert advice, practical tips, and meaningful conversations to help you cultivate success.Tune in bi-weekly for insightful interviews with industry leaders, discover actionable farming strategies, and connect with a community passionate about sustainable agriculture and rural lifestyles.At Branching Out: Growing Together, there's always a fresh perspective waiting for you.Become a supporter of this podcast: <a href="https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/branching-out-growing-together--5924771/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_
Latest Episodes
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- 5 days ago53 min
From Wall Street to Chestnut Orchards: Brett Hundley on the Long-Term Investment Case
What happens when a Wall Street equity analyst with a master's degree in natural resources turns his attention to chestnut farming? You get one of the most data-grounded, ecologically serious conversations we've had on Branching Out: Growing Together.Brett Hundley of Agroforestry Partners spent 15 years covering packaged food and agribusiness before co-founding a fund that has now planted nearly 1,600 acres of chestnut trees in Kentucky. He's not a romantic about it — he ran the numbers, visited farms in Chile, and made a deliberate choice. In this episode, he shares exactly what he found, what surprised him, and what it means for growers at every scale.In this episode, you'll hear:Why chestnuts rose to the top when Brett's team evaluated every major tree crop for the eastern U.S.What a research trip to Chile's commercial chestnut industry revealed — and one observation that every American grower needs to hearThe real economics of chestnut farming: timeline, yield benchmarks, land value, and what patient capital actually looks likeHow the U.S. compares to mature chestnut-producing countries — and why being early isn't a disadvantageWhat Brett believes the domestic chestnut industry looks like in 30 years, and what role independent growers play in getting thereVisit unitedchestnuts.com for trees and resources from the Ebb Farm Lab and a community of growers ready to help. Subscribe so you don't miss the next episode of Branching Out: Growing Together.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/branching-out-growing-together--5924771/support.Explore More from United ChestnutsMain Website: unitedchestnuts.comThe Branching Out Podcast: Listen to More EpisodesThe United Chestnuts Blog: Industry Insights & Growth StrategiesShop Ebb Farms: Direct from Our Orchard to YouThis episode includes AI-generated content.
- May 1, 202648 min
Starting a Chestnut Orchard the Right Way Feat. Jon & Bill Nash of Nash Nurseries
On this episode of Branching Out: Growing Together, host Melanie Jones sits down with Jon and Bill Nash of Nash Nurseries in Michigan. Together, the sixth- and seventh-generation Nashes share the habits, decisions, and community values that turn a first chestnut planting into a thriving orchard — from patience and site selection to tissue culture and the brand-new Treeborne value-added line.What You’ll LearnWhy patience is the #1 rule when starting a chestnut orchard The simple 1×1×1 soil-drainage test that can save your investment How six generations of know-how moved from Bill’s memory into barcodes and field maps The beer-napkin origin story of Treeborne’s chestnut chips and chestnut brown ale What tissue-culture Eurohybrids could mean for the next wave of growers Why Jon says, “We are not a big enough industry for everyone to be their own kingdom” Resources MentionedNash Nurseries — nashnurseries.comChestnut Growers of America (CGA)Northern Nut Growers Association (NNGA)Midwest Chestnut Producers CouncilMichigan State University — Dr. Dennis Fulbright, Dr. Mario MondojandoTreeborn — roasted chestnut chips, flour, and value-added productsIf this episode helped you, share it with a fellow grower and leave a review — it helps other chestnut-curious folks find us. Join the community at unitedchestnuts.com, subscribe to the weekly blog, and let’s keep growing together.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/branching-out-growing-together--5924771/support.Explore More from United ChestnutsMain Website: unitedchestnuts.comThe Branching Out Podcast: Listen to More EpisodesThe United Chestnuts Blog: Industry Insights & Growth StrategiesShop Ebb Farms: Direct from Our Orchard to YouThis episode includes AI-generated content.
- Apr 4, 202638 min
Sandy Russell on Chestnut Operational Maturity
Chestnut operational maturity is the difference between a hobby orchard and a resilient business. In this episode of Branching Out, I am joined by Sandy Russell to discuss the rigorous post-harvest systems required to survive a rapidly changing agricultural market. We explore why cold chain management, strict grading, and shared industry standards are absolute necessities for the modern grower.Takeaways from this episode:The 90/10 rule of chestnut supply chains.How to avoid the financial risks of blind aggregation.Why small growers must adopt strict post-harvest discipline today.Listen to the full interview and join the conversation. Subscribe to Branching Out: Growing Together.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/branching-out-growing-together--5924771/support.Explore More from United ChestnutsMain Website: unitedchestnuts.comThe Branching Out Podcast: Listen to More EpisodesThe United Chestnuts Blog: Industry Insights & Growth StrategiesShop Ebb Farms: Direct from Our Orchard to YouThis episode includes AI-generated content.
- Mar 17, 202636 min
High-Tech Harvest: Transforming Orchards with Drone Technology
Can a drone really change the way you manage a chestnut orchard? This week, I’m sitting down with Caleb Canter from AeroAg to talk about the leap from hobbyist toys to industrial-grade tools.We explore how autonomous flight is solving age-old problems for growers—from precisionspraying in tight canopies to mapping tree health with LIDAR. Whether you’re managing fiveacres or five hundred, this conversation is a look into the future of sustainable farming.● The Battery Breakthrough: How lithium-ion tech changed the game for heavypayloads.● Precision in the Canopy: Why drones are often more effective than traditional tractorsfor tree crops.● Beyond Spraying: Using drones for seeding, fertilizing, and even transporting yourharvest.● The ROI Factor: Breaking down the costs of ownership versus hiring a service.● Navigating the Legal Landscape: What you need to know about FAA licensing andregulations.Listen now and join the conversation at unitedchestnuts.com!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/branching-out-growing-together--5924771/support.Explore More from United ChestnutsMain Website: unitedchestnuts.comThe Branching Out Podcast: Listen to More EpisodesThe United Chestnuts Blog: Industry Insights & Growth StrategiesShop Ebb Farms: Direct from Our Orchard to You
- Feb 5, 202636 min
Welcome to The Chestnut Blueprint
While much of American agriculture is stuck in debt and overproduction, a quiet revolution is growing beneath the canopy of chestnut trees. In this episode, Roger Smith of Prairie Grove Chestnut Growers joins United Chestnuts to share how his network of seven-state growers has broken free from the commodity system — and built a model where farmers are price makers, not price takers.From “street-corner retail” to standardized genetics and cold-chain precision, Smith’s story is proof that specialty crops can rewrite the rules of farm economics. Host Kim Douglass unpacks how Smith and other innovators like Greg Miller and Mike Nave are leading the shift from survival to legacy — and why the chestnut industry’s playbook may hold the blueprint for the future of regenerative specialty farming.Tune in if you’re ready to:Understand how specialty crops are outpacing commoditiesLearn practical steps to reclaim pricing powerHear what modern cooperatives are doing to protect grower marginsSee how small farms can scale through innovation and collaborationFor more episodes, insights, and grower resources, visit www.unitedchestnuts.com or join the United Chestnuts Community on Facebook and LinkedIn.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/branching-out-growing-together--5924771/support.Explore More from United ChestnutsMain Website: unitedchestnuts.comThe Branching Out Podcast: Listen to More EpisodesThe United Chestnuts Blog: Industry Insights & Growth StrategiesShop Ebb Farms: Direct from Our Orchard to You
- Jan 30, 20268 min
Branching Out Growing Together OffShoot Edition -Messy Middle
Messy in the Middle: What It Really Looks Like to Build a Chestnut Orchard (and an Industry) What happens after the excitement of planting trees fades—but before everything feels established? In this Messy in the Middle episode of Branching Out: Growing Together, Melanie Jones reflects on the often-unseen middle phase of chestnut farming and industry-building. Inspired by the idea of the “messy middle,” this episode explores what it really looks like to grow a perennial crop—and a community—when progress is real but unfinished. From uneven harvests and learning curves to orchard decisions that don’t come with a playbook, this conversation is about staying planted through uncertainty. Melanie shares perspective from EBB Farms in Western Kentucky, parallels from other perennial crops like pistachios, and why patience, learning, and shared experience matter more than hype. This episode is for:Chestnut growers in the early or mid stagesLandowners considering planting treesAnyone building something long-term that doesn’t offer quick feedbackChestnuts aren’t “coming back” overnight. They’re being built—orchard by orchard, season by season. This Messy in the Middle episode is part of an ongoing series within Branching Out: Growing Together, highlighting real-world, in-progress experiences from EBB Farms and the broader chestnut community. 👉 Learn more and explore resources at unitedchestnuts.com/resourcesBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/branching-out-growing-together--5924771/support.Explore More from United ChestnutsMain Website: unitedchestnuts.comThe Branching Out Podcast: Listen to More EpisodesThe United Chestnuts Blog: Industry Insights & Growth StrategiesShop Ebb Farms: Direct from Our Orchard to You
- Oct 9, 202531 min
Roger Blackwell on Growing a National Chestnut Movement
Melanie Jones sits down with Roger Blackwell, President of Chestnut Growers of America, to talk about the momentum building in the U.S. chestnut industry. Together they explore what’s changed, what’s ahead, and how growers across the country are uniting to shape the next chapter of this remarkable tree crop.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/branching-out-growing-together--5924771/support.Explore More from United ChestnutsMain Website: unitedchestnuts.comThe Branching Out Podcast: Listen to More EpisodesThe United Chestnuts Blog: Industry Insights & Growth StrategiesShop Ebb Farms: Direct from Our Orchard to You
- Sep 20, 20258 min
What the Heck is SEO (and Why Chestnut Growers Should Care)
🌐 What the Heck is SEO (and Why Should Chestnut Growers Care?) Hi friends—Melanie Jones here with United Chestnuts, and today we’re breaking down a big, messy topic in a way that makes sense for farmers: 👉 SEO (Search Engine Optimization) If you're a grower who wants to sell more chestnuts, trees, or host visitors to your orchard—but don’t have time to become a digital marketing expert—this episode is for you. We’ll cover:Why chestnut growers need SEO—even if you’re not “online people”Simple ways to get your orchard found in Google, Facebook, and TikTokWhat terms like AEO and GEO actually mean (and how they help)How United Chestnuts is making this easy with tools, templates, and support💻 Learn more and join the movement: unitedchestnuts.com/resources 🌰 Chestnuts are coming back—and we’re building the system to support them.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/branching-out-growing-together--5924771/support.Explore More from United ChestnutsMain Website: unitedchestnuts.comThe Branching Out Podcast: Listen to More EpisodesThe United Chestnuts Blog: Industry Insights & Growth StrategiesShop Ebb Farms: Direct from Our Orchard to You
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About Branching Out: Growing Together
Branching Out: Growing Together – Your gateway to the world of small-scale nut and fruit tree farming, hosted by Melanie Jones from her picturesque chestnut farm in Kentucky. Join Melanie and her guests as they explore the latest trends, innovations, and personal stories from the chestnut industry and beyond. Whether you're a seasoned grower, a curious landowner, or dreaming of rural living, this podcast offers expert advice, practical tips, and meaningful conversations to help you cultivate success.Tune in bi-weekly for insightful interviews with industry leaders, discover actionable farming strategies, and connect with a community passionate about sustainable agriculture and rural lifestyles.At Branching Out: Growing Together, there's always a fresh perspective waiting for you.Become a supporter of this podcast: <a href="https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/branching-out-growing-together--5924771/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_
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