Comments on: A Nutting Expedition http://www.yourlocalmarketblog.com/2008/10/07/a-nutting-expedition/ Organic Grocery Market, Shop Local, Small Farms, Family Farms Wed, 23 Mar 2011 19:01:43 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Kerri http://www.yourlocalmarketblog.com/2008/10/07/a-nutting-expedition/#comment-3463 Kerri Wed, 08 Oct 2008 17:03:21 +0000 http://organictobe.org/?p=1380#comment-3463 I grew up in Florida where hickories and pecans (and oaks of all kinds) grew in abundance. My grandparents had an enormous pecan tree behind their garage and would regularly harvest a potato sack full of nuts every year. Those pecans would find themselves in various baked goods (and for snacking!) until the next harvest. But, alas, no nut trees grow in these northern lattitudes. A friend of mine is itching to see if she can get a butternut tree to survive here but hasn't bought one yet. I think the season is too short for nut bearing trees - our last frost is usually toward the end of April, beginning of May and first frost is before the end of September. I think I'll content myself with what fruiting trees and shrubs grow well for now. On the other hand, our weather has become milder over the last 30 years to the point that some sort of maple will grow. We have birch trees galore and folks plant a shrubby Japanese maple as an ornamental but the other day I saw one young maple in a neighborhood yard (skinny thing with few branches and about 15 ft tall) and three young'ns in a street planting. That was so astonishing I just stopped my bike in the middle of the street and stared. Now it makes me wonder about nut bearing trees. Maybe my friend will get a butternut to grow after all. Kerri in AK (who misses the walnuts of Virginia but not living there anymore) I grew up in Florida where hickories and pecans (and oaks of all kinds) grew in abundance. My grandparents had an enormous pecan tree behind their garage and would regularly harvest a potato sack full of nuts every year. Those pecans would find themselves in various baked goods (and for snacking!) until the next harvest.

But, alas, no nut trees grow in these northern lattitudes. A friend of mine is itching to see if she can get a butternut tree to survive here but hasn’t bought one yet. I think the season is too short for nut bearing trees – our last frost is usually toward the end of April, beginning of May and first frost is before the end of September. I think I’ll content myself with what fruiting trees and shrubs grow well for now.

On the other hand, our weather has become milder over the last 30 years to the point that some sort of maple will grow. We have birch trees galore and folks plant a shrubby Japanese maple as an ornamental but the other day I saw one young maple in a neighborhood yard (skinny thing with few branches and about 15 ft tall) and three young’ns in a street planting. That was so astonishing I just stopped my bike in the middle of the street and stared. Now it makes me wonder about nut bearing trees. Maybe my friend will get a butternut to grow after all.

Kerri in AK (who misses the walnuts of Virginia but not living there anymore)

]]> By: Jan Steinman http://www.yourlocalmarketblog.com/2008/10/07/a-nutting-expedition/#comment-3461 Jan Steinman Wed, 08 Oct 2008 16:56:38 +0000 http://organictobe.org/?p=1380#comment-3461 Thanks for that, Gene -- brings back memories of living in the east. Nuts are harder to come by in Cascadia, but I guess that's the price we pay for winter gardening. Thanks for that, Gene — brings back memories of living in the east. Nuts are harder to come by in Cascadia, but I guess that’s the price we pay for winter gardening.

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