Talking Hill Farm
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Ain’t Nut’n Perfect- Willy Nilly Nut farm is a chemical free perennial, tree crop farm. Focused on non timber food products like fruit and nuts. I have been stewarding this farm for 35 years.The oldest orchards are 2 acres of 30-year-old commercial pears that I planted in 1987. The farm has expanded to 10 acres of different succession, and management styles curating 120 different varieties of rare heirloom pears as part of a greater pear breeding and selection process for our region. This is a big year as the farm has expanded to include the planting of 40 acres of “forchard” (Forest/ orchard). In the works are extensive deer fence construction, designing, planting and maintaining a mixed orchard of the improved genetics of Native food producing hardwoods such as Black Walnut, several species of hickory, hybrid chestnuts and oaks. This will be a culmination of a life’s learning working with trees. If this sounds as exciting to you as it does me, then I could use your help.
The farm is a licensed small farm winery of little consequence, and includes a 10-year planting of old world cider apples and pears over an acre of ground. Including the pears and cider varieties, all told, we grow approximately 1000 fruit and nut trees as part of our diversified farm. I dabble with a small berry operation growing berries of obscurity. On the annual garden front, we grow a decent garden for ourselves with a little spill over, and do a fair amount of food preservation.
At this time, much of my creative energy goes into developing nut processing equipment, and value adding unique farm products for market. There is plenty of opportunity to tinker! We are one of the very few farms I see at market that value add products with food from the farm.
On the larger social front, the Acornucopia Project and the Nutty Buddy Collective are very much part of our farm’s initiatives, but involve work off the farm. This outreach of social networking, development and change are as important as the food we grow.
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Website: https://www.acornucopiaproject.com/
“Bill Whipple has spent decades thoughtfully growing organic pears that are incredibly delicious. His newer efforts — involving both berries and acorns — are intriguing. As an individual consumer, I always look forward to his email letting folks know when he will be at the North Asheville Tailgate and how the previous growing season went.”