Route 9 Cooperative – & Empire Chestnut Company

Dear Customers,
We are only selling Medium and Small size culinary chestnuts at this time. We were in an extreme drought during the summer of 2024, which has resulted in more small nuts than usual. The good news is that the small nuts have really good flavor from all the heat and sunshine. Please taste and enjoy the Small size chestnuts.
Small chestnuts will ship sooner than Medium chestnuts.
Thank you for understanding!

We are taking orders for chestnut seeds and chestnut trees. Chinkapin seeds will be shipped in late September to early October. Chestnut seeds will be shipped in November. Chestnut seedlings can be shipped from September through May in whatever month you select. DO NOT ORDER CHESTNUT SEEDS FOR EATING: THEY ARE MORE EXPENSIVE AND WILL NOT BE SHIPPED UNTIL NOVEMBER

Peeled kernels, chestnut flour, and pancake mix will be available later in the year.

Check here, our Facebook page, or our phone message for updates.

Buy Culinary Chestnuts

Buy Chestnut Seeds

Buy Chestnut Products

Buy Trees

About Us

Route 9 Cooperative was formed in 2010 by the owners of five chestnut orchards in eastern Ohio, located on land once occupied by native American chestnut trees. Our member chestnut orchards cover over 100 acres and have been supplying their customers with fresh culinary chestnuts for many years.

The need for a larger packing facility and unified marketing led to the creation of the co-op. Prior to the co-op, Greg Miller had produced and sold chestnuts and chestnut trees under his farm, Empire Chestnut Company.

The co-op now markets the chestnuts and trees grown by Empire Chestnut Company. Greg Miller serves as president of Route 9 Cooperative and remains an active chestnut farmer. See our more detailed story under history.

Our Culinary Chestnuts

Over the years, we have grown several species of chestnuts and their interspecific hybrids. We found that the Chinese chestnut (Castanea mollissima) is the best in terms of its sweet flavor, ease of peeling, and adaptation to our growing conditions. We continually plant new trees and remove inferior trees. In the process, we evaluate new germplasm and constantly improve the genetic quality of the chestnuts and nursery stock that we sell.

We sell three sizes of chestnuts:

Small (60-75 per lb; good for snacking)
Medium (48-53 per lb; good for roasting)
Large (34-39 per lb; good for cooking)

All sizes have the same quality and flavor. They are carefully cleaned and graded to ensure more than 95% sound chestnuts at shipping time.

Fresh chestnuts are available only during October and November.

When you receive your chestnuts be sure to refrigerate them right away. Otherwise, they can become moldy. Be sure to read our pages on storage and preparation of chestnuts.

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