Hicans represent an intriguing option for agroforestry practitioners seeking to expand nut production into regions where traditional pecans struggle. These naturally occurring hybrids between hickories and pecans combine the cold hardiness and adaptability of hickories with the thinner-shelled nuts more typical of pecans. While less well-known than their parent species, hicans offer unique advantages for … Read more
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 … Read more
About ten years ago, we planted two grafted pecan trees on our Missouri farm. This is the story of this initial pecan tree planting, why we chose them, and what ten years of growth looks like for us. The Starting Point We started with a copy of the University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry … Read more