SHAGBARK FARM - ADAMS COUNTY, OHIO

 

FARM OPERATION
Berries & Rhubarb
Melons
Mushrooms
Hickory
Culinary Herbs
Medicinal Herbs
Stevia
Wild Edibles
Hives

WHAT WE OFFER
AT MARKET
OUR RECIPES
BOOKS & GADGETS

 

HICKORY PRODUCTION

Shagbark Farm is home to many varieties of matured hardwood trees, among them hickory trees. Hickory wood is a choice wood used in culinary to carpentry items. Chefs and grill masters use hickory chips to impart rich tones into meat and poultry. The durability of hickory makes it perfect for tool handles, including hammers, axes and other swinging tools. Hickory also makes beautiful cabinetry and furniture. On our farm we have three varieties growing, but harvest only what the shagbark hickory trees produce.

We follow Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) practices to keep our forest healthy. It is a large part of our farming operation as we see what the forest produces as just as important as what we cultivate. Read about our Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) practices here.

You can read about all of our hickory products here.


The MeatEater Fish and Game Cookbook: Recipes and Techniques for Every Hunter and Angler

100 Edible Mushrooms

HICKORY TREE VARIETIES

SHAGBARK HICKORY
Shagbark Hickory trees are some of the prettiest trees I know. On our farm there are more than fifty of these trees, many well over twenty years old. They are unique in the hardwood forest and standout because of their "shaggy" trunks.

Classification: Carya ovata (shagbark hickory): occurring in pairs or solitary; It grows well in both wet and dry areas, but prefers well-drained soils. It is a slow-growing long-living tree.


The nuts, largest of all the hickory nuts, are sweet and edible and produce seedling trees readily.

The wood is hard, heavy, strong, and very flexible, making it a favored wood for tool handles. It is distinctive because of the rich brown center you will see when the wood is cut.

The barks is also distinctive as it has a rich brown color on the backside. We use it to make our Shagbark Hickory Syrup.

PIGNUT HICKORY
We have pignut hickory trees as well. They are prolific producers of pignuts which will readily sprout into seedlings.

Classification: Carya glabra (pignut hickory): This tree has medium green broad, flat leaves and firm, gray bark. The bark has a diamond pattern. This tree grows well in fairly rich, well drained to dry soils. It occurs with other hickories and with oaks.


The nuts of this particular hickory, are bitter and are enjoyed by many forest animals.

 

SHELLBARK HICKORY
Growing right along with the shagbarks are shellbark hickory trees. Not as shaggy as the shagbarks, but taller and fuller.

Classification: Carya laciniosa (shellbark hickory or kingnut hickory):This deciduous tree is similar to that of the Shagbark Hickory, but often not quite as shaggy. This tree and it prefers wet, fertile bottomland and I found them growing by our pond and the streams that feed the pond. Like other hickories, it is very tolerant of summer drought.

Read about all of our hickory products here.

 


The Wild Table: Seasonal Foraged Food and Recipes

The Compleat Meadmaker : Home Production of Honey Wine From Your First Batch to Award-winning Fruit and Herb Variations
Midwest Foraging: 115 Wild and Flavorful Edibles from Burdock to Wild Peach (Timber Press Field Guide)
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