In researching some of the chestnut cultivars in the UMCA “Descriptions of Chestnut Cultivars for Nut Production in the Eastern and Midwestern United States”, I saw that someone named ‘E.A. Riehl’ was listed in these. Imagine my surprise that his farm was in Godfrey, Illinois, just up the bluff from Piasa Harbor. Our family had a river cabin by Rosedale (12 Mile Island), just north of Pere Marquette State Park, and during my first 33 years, I made many, many trips along the river road (IL-100) right through Piasa Harbor with no knowledge that a tree nut crop pioneer had his farm right up the bluff.
So upon learning of his farm’s location, I did a little research on E.A. Riehl’s work.
Long before the term “agroforestry” was a term used, Emil A. Riehl was practicing it along the banks of the Mississippi River. From his farm and nursery in Godfrey, Illinois, E.A. Riehl spent decades developing nut tree varieties and propagation techniques that would help lay the groundwork for sustainable food production in our region.
A Local Legacy
E.A. Riehl (1837-1926) represents a remarkable chapter in our regional agricultural history. At a time when most farmers focused on annual crops, Riehl understood the long-term value of perennial tree crops, particularly nut-bearing species that could provide both income and food security for generations. At the time, most agriculture in the Midwest was rapidly becoming focused on annual grain production. But Riehl and other nut pioneers believed the future might include orchards of productive hardwoods.
What makes Riehl especially relevant to modern agroforestry practitioners is his systems-thinking approach. He wasn’t just growing trees—he was running a commercial nursery, conducting breeding experiments, and building networks with other innovators through organizations like the Northern Nut Growers’ Association and the Illinois State Horticultural Society.
Breaking New Ground in Nut Tree Development
Riehl’s most celebrated achievement came late in his career. In 1915, at the age of 78, he successfully produced his first hybrid chestnut by crossing Italian (European) chestnuts with American chestnuts. Riehl was solving a practical problem: how to get the large nut size of European varieties while maintaining the superior flavor and hardiness characteristics that made American chestnuts so valuable.
The timing of this work is particularly poignant. Just as Riehl was perfecting his chestnut hybrids, chestnut blight was devastating American chestnut forests across the eastern United States. While I haven’t found evidence that his specific cultivars survived into modern production, his pioneering hybridization work contributed to the foundation that modern chestnut breeders continue to build upon today.
The hybrid chestnuts Riehl developed became more than just an experimental success. They provided steady income for his family through the difficult years of the Great Depression, demonstrating the economic resilience that well-chosen tree crops can offer.
A Diversified Approach to Nut Cultivation
Riehl didn’t limit himself to chestnuts. His nursery and experimental work encompassed pecans, walnuts, and hickories—all species well-suited to the Mississippi River valley climate. He understood what modern agroforestry practitioners are rediscovering: that diversification across multiple nut species provides ecological benefits, spreads risk, and creates more stable income streams.
Riehl faced challenges that are familiar to anyone attempting tree crops in our region today. Cold hardiness, late spring frosts, and variable growing seasons all required careful selection and patient experimentation. The fact that he operated a commercial nursery alongside his breeding work meant that his varieties had to be both scientifically interesting and practically viable.
Family Commitment and Long-Term Vision
After Emil’s death in 1926, his daughters Amelia, Julia, and Emma, along with Emma’s husband George Gibbens, continued running the farm and nursery well into the 1940s. They maintained their father’s extensive correspondence network with nut growers and agricultural experts across the country, ensuring that knowledge continued to flow and research continued to advance.
This family continuity illustrates an essential truth about agroforestry: it requires long-term commitment. Trees don’t operate on annual crop timelines. The chestnuts Riehl planted in the 1890s were still producing for his daughters in the 1930s. This is precisely the kind of intergenerational planning that agroforestry demands and rewards.
Emil himself seemed to understand this deeper connection to the land and time. In an era of rapid agricultural industrialization, Riehl was building systems meant to outlast him.
Lessons for Modern Agroforestry
For those of us practicing or considering agroforestry in the Midwest region today, Riehl’s work offers several valuable lessons:
Regional adaptation matters. Riehl wasn’t trying to grow tropical species or force unsuitable varieties into our climate. He worked with what could thrive here and pushed the boundaries thoughtfully.
Commercial viability drives adoption. His nursery business meant that successful varieties could spread to other farms, multiplying the impact of his breeding work.
Networks accelerate progress. Through the Northern Nut Growers’ Association and other organizations, Riehl shared knowledge and learned from peers across the country. Modern agroforestry communities continue this tradition.
Patience pays off. Riehl’s first successful chestnut hybrid came when he was 78 years old, after decades of experimentation. Tree crops require this kind of long-term perspective.
Diversification builds resilience. By working with multiple species—chestnuts, pecans, walnuts, and hickories—Riehl created a more robust operation that could weather setbacks in any single crop.
Connecting Past and Present
While we may not be planting Riehl’s specific cultivars today, his legacy lives on in multiple ways. The hybrid chestnuts we can now purchase—varieties like Luvall’s Monster and others—represent the continuation of the work he pioneered. The northern pecan varieties that extend nut production into our region build on the selection work done by growers like Riehl. Even the organizational structures—nut grower associations, research networks, knowledge-sharing communities—echo the systems he helped build.
The Riehl-Thompson Family Papers, preserved at the University of Illinois Library, contain his business records, correspondence, and documentation of his horticultural experiments from the late 1800s through the 1940s. These archives represent a treasure trove of historical knowledge about adapting tree crops to our region, waiting for researchers and practitioners to explore.
A Vision for Today
As we face challenges of climate change, soil degradation, and the need for more resilient food systems, Riehl’s integrated approach to agriculture feels remarkably contemporary. He was practicing agroforestry before we had a name for it—combining trees with agricultural production, thinking in terms of ecosystems rather than monocultures, and building systems designed to sustain families for generations.
For those of us in the Midwest region looking to develop agroforestry operations today, we’re fortunate to have this regional heritage to draw upon. Riehl proved that nut tree cultivation can succeed here, that patient breeding work can yield valuable new varieties, and that tree-based agriculture can provide economic stability through changing times.
The question isn’t whether trees belong in our agricultural systems—pioneers like E.A. Riehl answered that over a century ago. The question is how we’ll build on that foundation for the next hundred years.
For those interested in learning more about historical nut cultivation in the region or accessing the Riehl-Thompson Family Papers, contact the University of Illinois Library archives.