Maryland Chapter

Thorpewood Orchard

This orchard was established in 1999 and has the oldest trees planted by the Maryland Chapter. These chestnut trees are our most advanced backcrosses.

Note: The Thorpewood Orchard produced B3F2 nuts in 2011.

 
Address:
12805 Mink Farm Rd., Thurmont, Frederick Co.

Directions:
Starting at Frederick Md., take Rt 15 about 15 miles north to Thurmont. At Thurmont go west on Rt 77 for about
2.9 miles to a left turn onto Catoctin Hollow Rd. Continue on Catoctin Hollow Rd. about 2.8 miles, past Wigville Rd., to a right turn on Mink Farm Rd.. Take Mink Farm Rd. for approximately 1 mile. Turn left near the top of the hill at an unmarked gate. This leads to the orchard and the “Thorpewood Garden.” If you see a house on the left at 12805 Mink Farm Road you have passed it.

Contacts:
Sam Castleman – President, Thorpewood, Inc.

For information about Thorpewood click here.

Plantings:

thorp2

Location:

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We are thankful for each and everyone of you! ... See MoreSee Less

We are thankful for each and everyone of you!

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Happy Thanksgiving! 🍁🥧🦃🍂

Follow us to learn more about the blight and what to do if this happens to a tree near you! ... See MoreSee Less

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I believe I have a few resistant chestnut trees that have produced their second crop of seeds . They are descendants of those once in living in .Valley Garden Park

The American Chestnut Foundation. If we don't figure out the tree of heaven problem then we won't have anything but ailanthus altissima and your research will be a waste.

Send me few, I'll plant them

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Holiday cheer is brewing! 🎄🍺 TACF staff joined Sweetbay Brewing’s Patrick Atkins in Abingdon, VA, as he demonstrated how Meadowview-ground American chestnut seeds are being used to craft a rich brown ale for our Chestnuts Roasting & Christmas Market celebration on December 13. Join us for local flavor, music, and chestnut-inspired holiday fun! #AmericanChestnut #SweetbayBrewing #ChestnutsRoasting #HolidayCheers #MeadowviewResearchFarms #AbingdonVA #ForestRestoration ... See MoreSee Less

Holiday cheer is brewing! 🎄🍺 TACF staff joined Sweetbay Brewing’s Patrick Atkins in Abingdon, VA, as he demonstrated how Meadowview-ground American chestnut seeds are being used to craft a rich brown ale for our Chestnuts Roasting & Christmas Market celebration on December 13. Join us for local flavor, music, and chestnut-inspired holiday fun! #AmericanChestnut #SweetbayBrewing #ChestnutsRoasting #HolidayCheers #MeadowviewResearchFarms #AbingdonVA #ForestRestoration

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Kirk🌰🍺!

Join us tomorrow, November 21, 2025, from 11:30AM – 1:00PM (ET), for the next LIVE Chestnut Chat webinar.

Our special guest, Dr. Jessica Rutkoski, is a small grains breeder with a talent for explaining the fundamentals of breeding and quantitative genetics. In her talk, she will describe how modern tools such as genomic selection and high-throughput phenotyping can speed up improvement for multiple traits—and how these technologies can be effectively applied to TACF’s American chestnut breeding program. Jessica is a quantitative geneticist and leads the winter wheat breeding program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

To register, visit: tacf.org/event/chestnut-chat-faster-genetic-gain/
... See MoreSee Less

Join us tomorrow, November 21, 2025, from 11:30AM – 1:00PM (ET), for the next LIVE Chestnut Chat webinar.Our special guest, Dr. Jessica Rutkoski, is a small grains breeder with a talent for explaining the fundamentals of breeding and quantitative genetics. In her talk, she will describe how modern tools such as genomic selection and high-throughput phenotyping can speed up improvement for multiple traits—and how these technologies can be effectively applied to TACF’s American chestnut breeding program. Jessica is a quantitative geneticist and leads the winter wheat breeding program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.To register, visit: https://tacf.org/event/chestnut-chat-faster-genetic-gain/

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Will be recording be made available later for those of us who cannot attend midday?

Grab your camera and hit the trails—the American Chestnut Photo Contest is back! We’re looking for striking, creative, and unique images of American chestnut trees and hybrids.

The first-place winner will have their photo featured on the cover of a future issue of Chestnut magazine and receive a one-year TACF membership, along with a T-shirt and hat. Open until December 31, 2025

Visit tacf.org/2025-photo-contest/ for more!
... See MoreSee Less

Grab your camera and hit the trails—the American Chestnut Photo Contest is back! We’re looking for striking, creative, and unique images of American chestnut trees and hybrids.The first-place winner will have their photo featured on the cover of a future issue of Chestnut magazine and receive a one-year TACF membership, along with a T-shirt and hat. Open until December 31, 2025Visit https://tacf.org/2025-photo-contest/ for more!
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