The Horticulture and Agroforestry Research Center (HARC) will hold the 15th Annual Missouri Chestnut Roast Festival with a variety of activities and presentations for individuals of all ages. The event will be held Saturday, Oct. 2, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Center in New Franklin. The festival is a signature event of the University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry (UMCA) and is open to the public rain or shine.
Activities such as samples of fire-roasted, Missouri-grown chestnuts, displays and sales of Missouri specialty agricultural products and wagon rides are part of the event. Cooking demonstrations by Cheryl Recker will also take place. Cheryl is a senior research and lab technician at HARC, and she and her husband also have a farm store in Jamestown where they sell vegetables and meat products.
Mike Gold, associate director of UMCA, will give a presentation on new research in chestnut production. Andy Thomas, assistant research professor in plant science, will speak on elderberry uses. Other presentations such as pawpaw production, mushroom inoculation and an overview of silvopasture will also be presented.
The Horticulture and Agroforestry Research Center is the site of the 1819 Thomas Hickman house, one of the state’s oldest intact brick houses and on the National Registry. Ray Glendening and volunteers from the South Howard County Historical Society will conduct tours during the festival. The group will answer questions and give insight of how Howard County was the ‘Mother of Counties’ in Missouri.
The Horticulture and Agroforestry Research Center is one of the University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources’ Agricultural Research Centers. The Center is located at 10 Research Center Road in New Franklin. For more information about the Chestnut Roast, call Caroline Todd at 573-884-2874 or email at toddc@missouri.edu .