American Chestnut Germplasm Agreement

possum

Active Member
Over the next few years my American Chestnut trees will be bearing nuts.

My plans are to clear a 20 acre tract that is currently in 20yr old loblolly pines and plant a large chestnut orchard.

So in 10 or so years, that orchard could be producing thousand of lbs of nuts a year.

I'm assuming these nuts will be a very valuable comodity.

6 years ago I signed the ACF germplasm agreement which states I can not sell any American Chestnut trees, seeds, scion, pollen, etc.

Here is the agreement... https://www.acf.org/germplasm-agreement/

As I read it, the agreement prohibits me from giving away or selling germplasm to a third party "who has not signed a germplasm agreement"

It seems a shame to have all those valuable seeds and being able to do nothing with them other than feed wildlife. Also doesn't seem right that anyone can go to any number of public parks where blight resistant trees drop seeds, collect them, plant orchards and sell the resulting nuts since they did not sign any agreement.
 
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Looks pretty iron clad to me, but I am not a lawyer. It looks like your best bet for being able to sell nuts in the future is this:

"UNLESS AND UNTIL TACF SPECIFICALLY RELEASES ANY CONDITION IMPOSED BY THIS OR ANY OTHER AGREEMENT ON THE CUSTODY AND USE OF ANY OF SAID GERMPLASM:"

If the project is a huge success and the new trees proliferate all around the country, maybe the value will decrease and they will let you out of the agreement.
 
Possum

I hope your trees are successful and avoid any issues with blight. How old are the trees now? At what age do you believe they will begin to bear chestnuts?

Wayne
 
I have a couple that are 7 yrs old that will probably start flowering next year. I was hoping this year but it didn't happen.
I have seven more that I planted this year.
All are from the ACF back cross breeding program and are between 93-97% American (3-7% Chinese).
Only time will tell just how well these trees will handle blight. But the 7 year old trees have had several blight spore outbreaks and fought them all off and healed over.
 
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