Messy in the Middle: What It Really Looks Like to Build a Chestnut Orchard
January 30, 2026
What does the messy middle of building a chestnut orchard and chestnut industry really look like?
In this Messy in the Middle episode of Branching Out: Growing Together, chestnut grower Melanie Jones shares life in the messy middle at EBB Farms in western Kentucky. She talks about what happens after you plant a chestnut orchard. The early excitement fades, but the work, risk, and decisions keep growing.
You’ll hear about uneven harvests and steep learning curves. Melanie describes orchard decisions that do not come with a playbook. She connects chestnut farming to other perennial crops like pistachios. She shows why patience, ongoing learning, and shared experience matter more than hype in a young chestnut industry.
This episode is for chestnut growers in the early or mid stages. It also serves landowners who are considering a chestnut orchard. It speaks to anyone building a long-term project that does not give quick feedback. Chestnuts are not “coming back” overnight. The chestnut industry is growing orchard by orchard, season by season.
If you’re in a messy middle chestnut orchard of your own, this episode offers real examples, not theory. You’ll hear how small decisions in the middle years shape the future of your trees, your land, and the wider chestnut industry.
Messy in the Middle is an ongoing series within Branching Out: Growing Together. It shares real-world, in-progress experiences from EBB Farms and the broader chestnut community.