Meet Roger Blackwell — Laying the Roots of Chestnut Community

November 29, 2024

In the first episode of the podcast Roger Blackwell, chestnut grower ,joins Melanie. Hear how he laid down roots in the chestnut community! In our very first episode of Branching Out: Growing Together, hosts Melanie and Brad sit down with Roger Blackwell, President of Chestnut Growers of America and Michigan’s trusted chestnut cooperative, Chestnut Growers, Inc.. Roger is a first-generation chestnut farmer who helped plant and nurture Michigan’s growing chestnut industry — starting in 1990 on a modest 25‑acre patch in Vermontville, which has since expanded and moved to more productive land in Oceana County, benefiting from the region’s nutrient-rich, sandy loam soil and frost-delaying lake effect michigangrown.org.

From the cooperative’s formation in 2002 to Michigan now standing as the nation’s leading chestnut-producing state — with nearly a million pounds harvested across 700 acres and supplying markets well beyond the Midwest — Roger’s leadership has helped fuel both regional pride and tangible growth michigangrown.org.

Why We Launched Branching Out — Three Years Ago

We launched Branching Out: Growing Together to support our growing interest in the chestnut and broader farming community — to connect, educate, and elevate stories that matter across the land, orchards, and beyond. With so much curiosity and momentum surrounding chestnut farming, the timing was perfect to create a platform for voices like Roger’s to inform and inspire unitedchestnuts.com.

What to Expect in This Episode

Discover how Roger’s early beginnings shaped Michigan’s chestnut movement, from a small family farm to a statewide cooperation.
Gain insight into the structure and evolution of Chestnut Growers, Inc. and Chestnut Growers of America.
Explore how local climate, soil, and collaboration made a new, resilient crop possible in the Midwest.
Learn why now — more than ever — chestnuts are gaining visibility, from fresh markets to chestnut flour and snack innovations.

Join us as we dig into roots—both literal and figurative—and celebrate the chestnut’s comeback through a conversation of passion, strategy, and community leadership.