How to Turn Chestnut Farming Into a Small Business That Lasts – Melanie Jones of United Chestnuts
May 5, 2025
🌰 Can chestnut farming become an innovative small business?
Absolutely — when it’s rooted in strategy, structure, and vision.
In this Small Business Week special, Melanie shares insights from CPA-turned-grower Joel Hubbard and agroforestry expert Jeremy Kaufman of Propagate. Together, they offer a real-world look at building profitable, lasting businesses through chestnut orchards.
🎯 In this episode, you’ll learn:
🌲 Why chestnuts may outperform pine for long-term ROI
💼 How to structure your land for tax savings and intergenerational transfer
🌿 What agroforestry really means and how it’s working on real farms
💰 Startup costs, funding programs, and business planning tips
🏡 How to turn your orchard into a multigenerational legacy
Whether you’re just starting your chestnut journey or ready to scale, this episode offers a grounded, inspiring roadmap.
🎧 Subscribe for more episodes of Branching Out: Growing Together podcast and this @UnitedChestnuts YouTube channel.
📬 Subscribe to the weekly blog at unitedchestnuts.com
👥 Join the United Chestnuts Community group on Facebook
🌰 And yes — partners in the United Chestnuts Preferred Partner program sell chestnut trees and chestnuts, of course!