For many people, wandering under the autumn-coloured leaves of chestnut trees is like a taste of home. And this is why Richard Moxham and Alison Saunders open up their orchard gates every autumn.
The owners of Sassafras Nuts, in the Shoalhaven, NSW, know picking chestnuts brings back childhood memories for many, and this makes growing these unusual nuts even more special.
But they didn't always have growing nuts in their sights. Both are from a farming and agricultural science background, and it was only when they were working full-time in Canberra they decided they wanted something to do on the weekends.
In 1995, thanks to some friends who owned the chestnut and walnut orchard, Richard and Alison found their new project. And from the beginning, they had a wonderful approach to it. "If you're going to grow something or produce something, you want it to be the best as possible," Richard said.
The orchard had 35 varieties of chestnut and walnut trees, but Richard and Alison found it was too many, so they began selecting the ideal varieties and 'top working' the established trees - where the crown of the tree is taken out and the preferred variety is grafted on. They also propagate their own trees.
They have steadily replaced trees, and now have six main varieties. They have 26 hectares, with 10ha under 1000 chestnut and 400 walnut trees, while the rest is bushland.
Richard and Alison started up a farm gate business, where people could come and pick their own nuts. "If you've got a good product, don't be afraid to sell it yourself," Richard said.
But this year is a little different, after fires wreaked havoc in the area last summer. Sassafras Nuts was hit by the blaze, with around 20 per cent of their walnut trees burnt, though many are showing signs of life. One hundred of their chestnut trees were also affected.
Richard said they were thankful for the help of BlazeAid and the federal and state government grants to help them rebuild fences. He said they had wonderful support from the community and tradespeople.
Each autumn, visitors come and pick their own chestnuts. The chestnuts need to have fallen from the tree, so visitors head off with their buckets and enjoy walking the rows of magnificent trees. "It is just like a park," Richard said. "They are just a lovely tree. In autumn there are the colours and nuts, but in summer they are just beautiful. We call it the nostalgia nut, because many people from European and Asian backgrounds are very attached to chestnuts. They love to come in autumn and do what they did as children."
Hard work never ends, especially after fires
The magnificent Sassafras Nuts chestnut and walnut orchard may be beautiful, but it also keeps owners Richard Moxham and Alison Saunders busy.
During winter, the trees are shaped and pruned, and the autumn leaves are cleared away. "Cleanliness is next to godliness," Richard said. "A clean orchard floor means you don't get as many fungal pests."
They also mulch the leaves and use them in the orchard, and the trees are treated for fungal root rot.
The walnut trees flower in spring, while the chestnuts flower in early to mid December. In December 2019 their flowers were burnt off by the heat of the fire. These chestnut trees have now recovered and the 2021 crop is looking good. In autumn the nuts are filled, and begin to fall, with visitor picking beginning from March 27 and can go as late as early May.
As well as visitors picking nuts, Richard and Alison also have a machine harvester, which sucks the chestnuts off the ground, shells them and keeps the nut. Walnuts also fall to the ground, but are picked up, washed and then racked and dried. Walnuts and chestnuts are available for sale at the orchard.
The trees have to grow for seven or eight years before they produce nuts, but Richard said they had a very long life, so they were a sustainable tree crop. Being next to the national park, they have an electric fence to stop marsupials coming into the orchard.
Richard said they love working in the orchard as it changes through the year. "We've always been hands-on with things, and it's best to do it yourself," he said.
- Visit sassafrasnuts.com.au
It's pretty nuts how diverse they are
Seeing a chestnut in its prickly little green coat, it is amazing to think how diverse it is.
The delightfully unusual chestnut is very popular. Richard Moxham, Sassafras Nuts, says it is especially popular in the Asian market. He said the Japanese people loved to boil chestnuts and make chestnut rice in the autumn, while Chinese people often boil or roast them.
Richard said he prefers to roast them, peel them and freeze them so they can be used throughout the winter.
Chestnuts can be used in a range of foods, including soups, in chestnut flour or puree and even in desserts.
Richard and Alison sell nuts fresh to suppliers, but many are picked by visitors to the orchard. "For people with an ethnic background, picking them can be an emotional experience," he said. "It's nice sharing that with people."
Richard said Sydney was the biggest market for chestnuts, with 550 tonnes marketed there in 2020. "Chestnuts are continuing to appeal to Australians."
