National Chestnut Week

National Chestnut Week is observed during the second full week of October and celebrates chestnuts, their growers, and their place in American food and forest history. The week dates to 2003, when it was established by Carolyn Young and the Chestnut Growers of America, formerly the Western Chestnut Growers Association.

The American chestnut (Castanea dentata) once grew widely throughout the eastern United States. Its dependable nut crop fed people, livestock, and wildlife, while its rot-resistant wood was used for buildings, furniture, fencing, flooring, railroad ties, and telephone poles. Chestnuts also supported rural economies: families gathered and sold the nuts, and newspapers from the late 19th and early 20th centuries described railroad cars filled with chestnuts bound for cities during the holiday season. The American Chestnut Foundation provides a detailed history of the tree.

That abundance changed after chestnut blight, a fungal disease introduced from Asia, spread through North America. First discovered in New York City in 1904, the blight reduced the American chestnut from a dominant forest tree to one that usually survives only by sending up short-lived sprouts. Much of the chestnut crop eaten in the United States now comes from introduced species or imported nuts. Restoration groups and growers continue working to bring chestnuts back to American forests and farms.

How to Observe National Chestnut Week

Celebrate by enjoying chestnuts fresh, roasted, or incorporated into a sweet or savory dish. Learn about the American chestnut’s former role in eastern forests and the ongoing effort to restore it. You can also explore the work of the Chestnut Growers of America or The American Chestnut Foundation and share what you learn with someone else.

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