United Chestnuts Academy
The Name on the Gate — Why Naming Your Farm Matters
The EBB Confession: How Our Farm Name Started We didn’t back into the name EBB Farms by accident—we loved it from the start. It stood for our dreams: Expect Big Bucks, with a perfect double meaning. At the time, we were imagining a place that might make a couple bucks and give us a lot of…
Revenue Opportunities in Growing Perennials: The Long Story
When we ask, “Why grow chestnuts?” the answer usually starts with a sense of purpose. For many of us, the draw is environmental: soil-building, carbon sequestration, and a low-input alternative to the annual grain systems that currently deplete our landscapes. But as we look toward the future and the industry at large, we have to…
How to Prevent Ambrosia Beetle Damage on Young Chestnut Trees
If you’re establishing chestnut trees in the Southeast or lower Midwest, there’s a challenge you’ll likely face in the first three to four years after planting: ambrosia beetle damage. These rice-sized wood-boring insects are one of the most common threats during the establishment window—targeting trees between ½ and 4 inches in diameter, exactly when your…
How Drone Technology Is Transforming Chestnut Orchard Management
If you’ve ever stood at the bottom of a steep chestnut grove with a heavy sprayer on your back, you’ve probably looked up at the canopy and wondered if there was a better way. For years, drone technology in chestnut orchards felt like something reserved for hobbyists or big-budget films, but as I learned from my conversation…
The Visibility Mandate: Why 2026 is the Year the U.S. Chestnut Finally Goes Digital
Last week, we talked about the “Commodity Trap” and how growers like Roger Smith are escaping it by becoming “price makers.” It was a story about economics, margins, and the future of farming. But today, I want to talk about something simpler. I want to talk about soup. Just two months ago, on a popular…