HOW TO GATHER AND SELL BLACK WALNUTS
For many people across the midwest and east-central united states, the black walnut harvest every october is a tradition passed down from generation to generation.
Black Walnuts are one of the few commercially available foods picked by hand in the wild. Individuals, clubs, church groups, and fundraisers take to field and forest to collect Black Walnuts every Fall, following a tradition thousands of years old. Black Walnut trees are a native American species and Black Walnut nutmeats have been a food staple since the first humans populated North America.
Hulling operations start October 1st!
New to the harvest?
Here are a few tips to get you started!
One
Find a tree or several trees with Black Walnuts. Be sure to get permission to collect nuts that aren’t from your yard (many folks are happy to let people have them).
TWO
Gather the nuts soon after they fall and while the hulls are mostly green. Collect them by hand or with our Nut Wizard – a handy nut-gathering tool with a long handle and barrel-like end that picks Black Walnuts up like magic! You do not need to remove the hulls.
THREE
Put collected nuts in bags or a truck bed for hauling.
FOUR
Take the nuts to the nearest hulling location within a couple of days of collecting. The operator will run the nuts through a hulling machine to remove the outer green hull. You’ll be paid for the weight after hulling. NOTE: The faster you pick up and deliver the nuts to the hulling station, the better tasting the Black Walnut!
FIVE
Enjoy extra spending money and memories made picking up Black Walnuts with your family and friends and take pride the next time you see a bag of Black Walnuts on your grocery store shelf!
Growing Black Walnut Trees For Production
With the demand for premium quality Black Walnuts continually growing, the long-term profit potential for those landowners willing to become growers is enticing. While primarily harvested by hand, in order to continue to meet the demand, the supply has to be there and relying on a wild crop can be inconsistent. The continued growth of the Black Walnut industry depends on the willingness of landowners to invest in nut orchards long term.