Jason Miller of Branch and Bloom Farms stands in front of his newly planted chestnut orchard in St. Johns, MI
About Our

Chestnut Orchard

Resting on 10 acres, our chestnut orchard is home to 300 trees and counting.
Our Orchard in a

Chest(nut) Shell

You might know about chestnuts from the popular Christmas tune, but did you know the population of American chestnut trees was nearly wiped out in the early 1900s? We're on a two-fold mission: to fill the gap in the ongoing shortage, and to revive interest in this often obscure crop.

We currently grow (or plan to grow) the following cultivars:

  • Colossal
  • Gillet
  • Bouche De Betizac

Jason Miller holds chestnuts from one of his trees
Chestnuts get ready to burst forth from their prickly, green pod
Jason Miller of Branch and Bloom Farms in St. Johns Michigan works on starting chestnut trees in his garage.
Meet the Farmer

Jason Miller

With more than 20 years in the computer industry, Jason Miller never expected to fall in love with orcharding.

Jason first grew an interest in chestnut trees after attending a small town Christmas event.

Amazed by their flavor and captivated by their nostalgic nature, Jason began to research the trees.

He soon learned that the entire crop of American chestnuts nearly became extinct in the early 1900s after the arrival of blight.

Intrigued by his findings, Jason purchased and planted his first few trees. The restful act of planting became a welcomed escape after the long days of stress as a CEO.

Since then, a handful of trees has turned into 300 and counting.

Whether working in the dirt or working on his computer company, Jason’s driving force remains the same—to build.

FAQs

On average, it takes three to five years for a chestnut tree to produce its first nuts. Full maturity and production is reached at about 10 years.

We currently have approximately 300 trees on our 10 acre property. We plan to plant an additional 1,000+ at the site of our new orchard.

In addition to making a tasty snack (for humans and wildlife), chestnuts are often used in food production and is popular in many Asian dishes.