Nuts for Life, or “what does an ideal food system look like to you?”

From a food resiliency standpoint: collecting wild nuts, cleaning and drying them properly, and storing them in-shell with decent airflow in a cool space like a basement – it’s probably one of the highest levels of resiliency for fat and protein that you could store, I think. These hickories should be good for 10 years, I’ve heard for up to 15 years. Chestnuts when they’re dry, more or less indefinitely. Acorns, more or less indefinitely. These Japanese walnuts from 4 years ago…one out of 50 is a dud, the rest taste absolutely beautiful.

from Edible Acres (@4:31 of video below)

@ 5:34 some processing footage

“It feels like a critical base layer to food security, with gardening, wild foraging and hunting as additional layers of benefit.”

Replying to a comment about wild nuts being a most efficient form of hunting & gathering

Food sovereignty, good when times are good and when times are not so good.

An imaginative exercise – what does an ideal food system look like to you? When I envision optimal food systems and resilient, rewarding primary sectors that are grounded and guarded by ecological mutualism, I see trees are a key & core part.

Towering timber trees among their families and cohorts of diverse company, gifting staple crops for current and future generations with numerous co-benefits. Agroforest cows? Shiitake and other medicines? Trees of all types, hazel in the northeast alongside other handy hardy bushes. Alley & edge crops. Wildlife habitat. Connection to place and harmony with neighbors human and nonhuman. Productive conservation & restoration agriculture. Forest gardens. Community food hubs, gathering and processing.

How can we integrate ecological mutualism into our lives, at various scales? Go nuts

3 replies on “Nuts for Life, or “what does an ideal food system look like to you?””

  1. cr0 says:

    Air prune beds that can be built for use in either propagation or nut storage:

  2. cr0 says:

    Do you eat nuts on a regular basis? What a wonderful tree crop! Available in bulk, in stores or locally grown or gathered. Healthy and nutritious carbs, fats, and oils available in decade-long shelf stable biodegradable (high BTU burnable!) “packaging” (shells).

    Whether grown from hazelnuts you plant near home (like the ones we sell at our spring plant sale) or gathered from mighty tall timber trees in the wild and around the city – tree crops can be of great bio-cultural benefit!

    Now’s a nice time to plan gathering, processing, planting, and storage for future seasons – better yet with some buddies! See you in the forest (gardens)?

  3. […] Basic Plan for Small-scale Black Walnut Food System Nuts for Life […]

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