Identifying and Collecting Seed from Genetically Superior Walnut, Hickory and Pecan Trees on Yates County, New York Farms

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Commodities

Practices

• Crop Production: agroforestry, silvopasture
• Natural Resources/Environment: afforestation, biodiversity
• Production Systems: permaculture
• Sustainable Communities: new business opportunities, values-based supply chains

Every time a tree is planted, a decision is made about tree genetics. As afforestation / agroforestry efforts expand across the Northeast, these lasting and impactful decisions are being made more frequently. Bottlenecks in tree seed and seedling supplies have developed and limited availability leads to planting from non-optimal and often undocumented sources. In aggregate, these planting decisions will significantly impact the characteristics and resilience of the future regional tree population. 

This project proposes to increase the diversity and desirability of available seed for trees in the Juglandacae family (walnut, hickory, pecan) for areas in the Northeast in 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 6-5b. This will be accomplished by directly identifying preferred trees growing on farms in Yates County, NY or nearby and providing a practical path through which those farmers can route seeds into the regional seed supply. Ideally, a tree seed / seedling supply should reflect the best of the range and depth of regional population genetics. The proposed project area in the Finger Lakes region of NY has a rich history of both indigenous nut culture and multi-generational family farming. Many old nut trees remain standing on farmsteads, often an appreciated afterthought or a source of family or pride, but not integrated into the current farming plan. Systematically evaluating these trees and bringing the best of them into a managed seed gathering program benefits the farmers that own the trees (through additional income) and farmers considering diversifying into agroforestry (through improved seed genetics).

This project will broaden and strengthen the genetic base of Juglandacae family trees (walnut, hickory, pecan) in the Northeast long-term. This will be accomplished by identifying preferred seed trees in the Juglandacae family on Yates County, NY area farmsteads and providing a path through which host farm families can route seeds from their superior trees directly into the regional seed supply. 

At least 25 farm families will be engaged, at least 40 trees will be evaluated using defined field protocols and at least 10 trees will be prioritized for seed collection. Seed will be collected and processed and the resulting seeds shall enter the regional seed supply. Summarized tree data collected, seed selection approach, source tree locations and local growing conditions will be documented and detailed in the project report. Protocols for mutually beneficial annually recurring seed gathering will be established with farm families whose land hosts prioritized trees. Because there are a lot of tree varieties in the Juglandaceae family, if a few species must be prioritized, the project will prioritize black walnut, butternut, shagbark hickory, bitternut hickory and shellbark hickory, if found. Shellbark hickory may not be present in the project area.