Bennington County Natural Resources Conservation District gave away 2000 blight-resistant chestnut saplings donated by Yellowbud Farm this past year. The saplings were given to local producers and community food sovereignty projects.
Why are they focusing on chestnut trees? Chestnut trees can improve community food resources and add financial gains to Bennington County’s working landscape. They can be integrated as part of an agroforestry or silvopasture system, increasing land productivity while creating multiple income streams. Once the trees reach full maturity, they are projected to produce between 50 and 100 pounds of chestnuts per tree. With the potential for this production volume to increase over time.
Planting chestnut trees not only supports local farmers but also contributes to the area’s agricultural landscape’s ecological diversity and resilience. This adds to Bennington County’s commitment to food security within their community through their Community Resilience Initiative. They’ve also been harvesting Yellowbud Hickory trees in the region.
Photo: Team at Yellowbud Farms harvesting great stock trees that’ll be distributed. Photo by Bennington County NRCD.