North Carolina / South Carolina News
Chestnut Harvest at the Pryor Farm, Edneyville, NC, September 27, 2025
Even with the threat of bad weather, we had volunteers come to help collect open-pollinated chestnut burs and nuts today, at the Pryor Orchard. We thank the first-time volunteers, Kelly, David and Gwen, for several hours of pulling burs off of the trees and...
Chestnut Harvest at the Chestnut Return Farm, Seneca, SC, September 25, 2025
Today, controlled-pollinated hybrid chestnuts in protective bags were harvested. Also, open-pollinated chestnuts from the best trees were collected. Jamie Van Clief from TACF directed the work. We were happy to have so many helpful hands today to make the harvest go...
Pollinations at the Pryor Farm, Edneyville, NC, June 18, 2025
The photos above were taken by Jules Smith. Paul Sisco contributed by providing some of the pollen from another orchard for today’s...
Pollination Day at the Chestnut Return Farm, Seneca, SC, June 12, 2025
Seed Planting in the Germplasm Conservation Orchard at the Pryor Farm, Edneyville, NC, May 3, 2025
Mountain Science Expo, NC Arboretum, Asheville, NC, April 26, 2025
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🌰 It’s National Nut Day! 🌰
What better way to celebrate than by helping restore the most iconic nut tree of them all: the American chestnut.
When you donate $25 or more to our End of Year Campaign: One Tree, Many Hands between Oct 22–31, you’ll be entered for one of three chances to win a Seed Level membership with The American Chestnut Foundation! 🌱
Seed Level members receive a subscription to Chestnut magazine, early access to wild-type seedling sales, and four chestnut seeds with intermediate blight resistance, a gift that helps grow the future of this iconic tree.
Visit support.tacf.org/2025-end-of-year for your chance!
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Finding your first American chestnut in the wild is an unforgettable moment. 🌳
Hal Brindley, TACF’s website administrator, shares how you can find these trees using just a few free apps on your phone.
Watch Hal’s quick video, then head to our website for his full step-by-step guide to discovering wild chestnuts and helping restore this iconic species. tacf.org/find-wild-american-chestnuts/
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Does anyone know how TACF's ....LSA program is coming along? How it is being structured and are the growers of the "wild type" mother orchards involved with input in selecting best trees? Is there a TACF "Czar" overseeing the project? Have new orchards been established yet to plant the finest pure Americans together at this time? TACF has the unique ability to perfect this all natural selection program from all the the mother tree orchards that are not tainted with the hybrids or GMOs yet. Has as much energy gone into this program as the good old backcrossing program? If not , why not??? It is a terrific model for breeding the survival of the fittest Castanea dentata. Maybe then they could even get ACCF and other private growers to contribute and provide insights.
From what I’ve seen it’s a combination. Trees growing in more ideal soil tend to fight the blight better. I have also seen that trees getting less sun tend to do worse than those in full sun.
Somebody has to have an orchard of these grafted
🌰 For the 8th straight year, Dr. Han Chuan Ong and his King University class volunteered at TACF’s Meadowview Research Farms during harvest processing! After touring MRF to learn about TACF’s mission, the students rolled up their sleeves to shuck burs and support chestnut restoration. We’re grateful for this long-standing partnership that strengthens both education and conservation. 🌳
This year, we were also joined by Emory & Henry College students, including Bonner Scholars and other volunteers, who lent their time and energy to help with the harvest. We’re so thankful for their hard work and enthusiasm — and we look forward to welcoming even more students next year to continue growing this tradition of learning and conservation! 🍂
#AmericanChestnut #MeadowviewResearchFarms #americanchestnutfoundation#ChestnutResearch #ConservationScience #harvest
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We are a middle school in Ohio and our middle schoolers are doing the same thing this past week.
www.facebook.com/share/1HjBGYMgnn/?mibextid=wwXIfr We are hosting our own seminar November 1st with our sponsor and speaking about the tree and its science and history w a OH-TACF admin and member.
🌰 What a fantastic American Chestnut Day at The North Carolina Arboretum!
From seedling sales and student research posters to inspiring talks, poetry, and a screening of Clear Day Thunder, the day was packed with learning, connection, and celebration of the American chestnut’s incredible story.
A heartfelt thank-you to everyone who joined us, and to our event sponsor, Warren Wilson College, for helping make it all possible! 💚
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Enjoyed stopping by, hopefully next time the tree sale will be better equipped to accept different forms of payment 🙂
What are the chance that someone out there does have some true american chestnut seeds for sale or to give away . I only would like maybe a dozen and a half if anybody has then in north carolina. Thanks and god bless you
Maryland friends, come on out to the MD Chapter Chestnut Festival on Sunday, October 19! Visit tacf.org/event/maryland-chapter-chestnut-festival/ for more!
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