Years of long grasses had bowed under the weight of winter snows, weaving a thick carpet over our land. As Tom rode his 4-wheeler over a constellation of molehills, he shook his head.

How do you introduce yourself when you’ve spent years covered in cocoa powder… and now you’re about to be covered in burs? Here goes.

If ever a tree were worthy of legend, it is the American chestnut. Once, billions of these giants stretched from Maine to the Gulf Coast.

While I initially considered planting chestnuts for wildlife, my research—and a relentless Facebook algorithm—soon revealed a bigger opportunity: culinary orchards.