Rogers Reserve

Picture from Rogers Reserve webpage

Ernie Rogers was very interested in American chestnut because chestnut blight was killing American chestnut when he left his native Pennsylvania home and moved to Jackson, MI. When he found Professor Fulbright working on American chestnut in Michigan, Ernie offered his farm to grow the trees Professor Fulbright was studying. It was on his own farm donated to MSU that Ernie watched American chestnut take root and produce their first crops of nuts.

Edible sweet chestnut orchards have sprung up across Michigan.  According to the Ag Census of 2007, Michigan has the largest number of growers and the most acreage of any state.  For more information on growing chestnuts, chestnut researchers, or American chestnut in Michigan, click on the links below.

A nice discussion of some cultivars for Michigan  here.