Club Speaker
February 2024 Speaker
Justin Holt: The NuttyBuddy Collective
For past speakers, click here.
Justin Holt, from Asheville Nuttery, was our speaker this month. He became interested in permaculture after graduating from UNCA in 2008. The organization focuses on “nut trees,” which are keystone species. Annual grains provide most of the world’s calories. This organization espouses the use of forests as a dietary resource. Nutritional value of nuts is much greater than soy, wheat, and potatoes. Black walnut is 23% protein and high in antioxidant fats. The collective has acquired leased property to grow nut trees that are native. Asheville Nuttery designed a way to process our native nuts. Acornucopia project converts acorns to replacements for staples–flour, oils, milk, meat, and are currently branding the oils. Oils are sold in popup shops, and tailgate markets. Justin shared pieces of black walnuts with the group as well as several bottles of nut oil to purchase. By the way, I tasted the acorn oil that Ellen bought and it tastes like butter. Very tasty and good for you, so look for these products at these markets or processing plant!
The nutwork has needs for volunteer nut gatherers, TreeSA members, chefs, food writers, eaters and food buyers, landowners and aspiring growers, business experts, researchers, grant writers, and community organizers. These are the organizations and ways to contact them found in the Nutty Buddy Collective:
Nuts for Nuts-Building a regional framework for adaptive, resilient, and community-driven agroecology
Asheville Nuttery
Nutty Buddy Collective
Acornucopia Project