Franz Kafka apparently said once that ‘God gives the nuts, but does not crack them’

Since the divine gift of nuts doesn’t come pre-cracked, we’re calling on our community to help us set up a commercial-scale nut processing facility. And we’re filled with gratitude at how many fine folks have stepped up to contribute to the cause. Yesterday afternoon, we kicked off our fundraising campaign with an incredibly fun and delicious Carnival of Nuts.  Nearly 200 people came out to learn about our native nut crops and the Nutty Buddy Collective’s work, to sip on locally-brewed chestnut beer and toasted pecan hot cocoa, to play nutty carnival games, to chow down on delicious treats of all kinds.

If you missed the Carnival, that’s OK – you can still chip via our GoFundMe campaign

We would like to extend our deep, tap-rooted gratitude to the following people and businesses who helped make the event a success by donating time, talents, creativity, foods, and/or money:

• Toy Boat Community Art Space
• The Hop Ice Cream Cafe
• French Broad Chocolate
• Vortex Doughnuts
• OWL Bakery
• Gurum Wood-Fired Pizzeria in Blacksburg, VA
• High Five Coffee
• Glorious Forest Farm
• Santosha Chocolate
• Anna Bartlett and Aerial Space
• Bob Stehli and Wintergreen Tree Farm
• Todd Smith, our graphic design guru
• Freddie, our chestnut beer brewer
• Squirrel chef Cathy Cleary
• Cate Bohnsack and Ileana Grams-Moog
• Silent auction donors: No Taste Like Home; Useful Plants Nursery; LOTUS Farm and Garden; Ultimate Ice Cream; Cisco Pilates
• Our carnies who made it all work: Katie Green; Alexis, Bob and Debbie Miller; Jo Mosser; Emily and Landis Lacey; Taylor Malone; Minori Hinds; Gabi White
• And all you carnival-goers who came out to support and celebrate!

More to come soon about the Carnival, the fundraiser and other nuttiness..