Chestnut Harvest at the Diamond R Ranch: A Race Against Nature

Jody during the 2024 harvest

With 200 chestnut trees spread across the Diamond R Ranch, harvest season is an exciting, busy time for Ted and Jody. By the end of August, the chestnuts start to get heavy, and by early September, they’re falling to the ground when they’re perfectly ripe. But Ted and Jody aren’t the only ones waiting for the chestnuts—the deer are ready to feast, too.

Each night, deer roam the ranch, using their feet to crack the chestnuts out of their spiky burrs, making it a race between Ted, Jody, and their four-legged competitors. Surprisingly, the deer help out more than they hinder. The leftover burrs make excellent mulch, so Ted and Jody gather them up to reuse around the trees as mulch. Wild turkeys that roam the ranch and keep the trees pest-free by digging for insects, and these animal friends allow Ted and Jody to avoid using fertilizers or chemicals on the trees.

Harvesting is done twice a day, tree by tree, as Ted and Jody collect as many chestnuts as they can before the deer get to them. It’s labor-intensive, but the results are worth it. The chestnuts are fresh, delicious, and organic, grown naturally on their farm.

Once harvested, the chestnuts are carefully packed by Ted in insulated boxes with cold packs, ensuring they stay fresh when shipped out to customers. Although the main harvest typically wraps up by the third week of October, the trees continue to drop chestnuts—albeit at a slower pace—right through Thanksgiving.

If you’re looking for organic chestnuts for sale this season, rest assured that each one from Diamond R Ranch has been grown and harvested with care, right alongside the rhythms of nature.