About Chestnut Ridge Ranch

In 1976 we started our long search for the perfect place to live in the country. Sometime along the way we decided t grow chestnuts on our country land. For almost 14 years we looked for just the right place where we and our chestnuts would be happy. Finally, on a beautiful March weekend in 1990, we found the perfect spot. We planted over 500 chestnut trees over the next 6 years. In 1995 , we harvested our first chestnuts—just a few pounds. Every year since then, our crop has increased. Last year, 2002, we harvested our first real commercial crop, about 800 pounds.

We grow Colossal Chestnuts on a ridge above Anderson Valley California, surrounded by firs, redwoods, oaks and madrones. Chestnut trees at maturity are one of the most beautiful trees in the world. Our trees will eventually grow to 40 feet tall and 40 feet wide. In the fall the leaves turn to beautiful shades of yellow and gold. They do not like wet feet, therefore prefer to grow on slopes in well drained soil, and they love our nearly year-round sunshine at the open top parts of our ridge. The nuts mature in early fall and fall to ground from their prickly burrs when they are ripe from late September through October.

Tom Brewer and Pam Armstrong

Email Tom Brewer