Keystone Tree Crops Cooperative
Nurturing Nature, Sharing Success
Keystone Tree Crops Cooperative (KTCC) is uniting Mid-Atlantic tree crop growers, gatherers, processors, distributors, and enjoyers in common cause and mutual benefit.
Hickory oil is in stock!
Order now!
Use it for sauteing, roasting, and high-heat cooking. Use it to finish pasta, vegetables, or bread. Use it wherever you'd reach for a good olive oil.
KTCC's hickory nut oil is pressed from the nuts of yellowbud hickory (Carya cordiformis), a native tree with one of the widest distributions of any species in the eastern United States. Despite its abundance, yellowbud has been largely overlooked as a food source for the past few centuries. The oil we press from it is our attempt to change that.
The raw nuts are bitter, but the bitterness comes from tannins, and tannins are not oil-soluble. What comes out of the press is something entirely different: mild, smooth, and faintly nutty, with a fatty acid profile similar to olive oil. Lab testing shows roughly 70% monounsaturated fat and a high oleic acid content. The smoke point is around 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
Because this oil is fresh and unrefined, it should be refrigerated after opening.
A bottle of hickory nut oil supports KTCC's members: the harvesters who gather nuts from wild trees each fall, the processors who press and bottle each batch, and the growers beginning to establish orchards for future seasons. It also helps fund the shared infrastructure and learning we are building together as a cooperative.
For more information visit this page: https://ktcc.coop/hickory-oil
Allergen information: contains tree nuts.
Please allow up to 10 days for order handling and fulfillment.
Culinary Chestnuts are in stock!
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These high-quality chestnuts are grown by KTCC producer members.
Chestnuts are a carbohydrate food rich in fiber, vitamins (especially vitamin C), and antioxidants. They are similar in some ways to potatoes, and versatile in cooking, eaten whole, roasted, steamed, boiled, chopped, or mashed. Chestnuts make a great addition to stuffings and a great base for desserts.
After harvest, the chestnuts are heat-treated in a water bath to treat against potential infestation.
Your purchase supports the Keystone Tree Crops Cooperative’s efforts to create a food supply chain that nourishes resilient, interdependent communities with local, native tree crops.
We carefully inspect each nut. However, some defects are not visible from the surface.
Order processing and shipping can take 7-10 days.
Order before November 18, 2025 to receive them by Thanksgiving.
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Our Co-op
Keystone Tree Crops Cooperative (KTCC) is a nonprofit agricultural cooperative. We are primarily nut growers and gatherers distributed across Pennsylvania (and surrounding states). We are developing cooperatively-owned supply chains for value-added food products derived from specialty tree crops.
Our Mission
Our mission is to support equitable tree-based livelihoods. We achieve this through creating mutually-beneficial relationships, organizing harvest activities, and providing processing and distribution capacity for our members.
Our Context
Forests call for long-term vision. We acknowledge and thank those before us: the generations of people, trees, and diverse forest communities who have carried the torch forward. We work with grief for environmental loss and dehumanizing histories, aiming to learn and do better.
We work for future generations, doing what we can in the present to grow opportunities for mutualism and healthy ways of life decades and centuries from now.
“And if this is your work too, we work together.”
Our Goal
We have big dreams! Our goal for 2026 is to bring in
15,000 pounds of yellowbud (bitternut) hickory nuts
2,500 pounds of culinary chestnuts
Shagbark hickory nuts
We need your help!
Do you want to harvest? Be an aggregation hub? Spread the word?
Community Empowerment
We empower the tree crop community by connecting interested parties and sharing the resources.
Regenerative Practices
We aim for our work to be regenerative and strengthen the ecosystem.
Quality & Excellence
We strive to achieve high standards in nut production and processing.
Fair Trade & Transparency
We are committed to ethical practices and open and fair pricing models.
Crops KTCC is purchasing Nuts in 2026
Yellowbud (Bitternut) hickory nuts
Raw chestnuts
Hazelnuts
2026 Pricing & Payout Schedule
At harvesting events, all nuts will be paid $7.50/gallon. There will also be an option to trade for oil at 3 gallons of nuts for one 5oz bottle at gathering events. Some harvesting events are purely educational as there won't be enough nuts to sell or trade.
You can deliver nuts to one of our aggregation hubs.
To learn about how we qualify grade A and grade B nuts, check out pages 14 and 15 in the harvester’s handbook
Yellowbud Hickory
| Grade | KTCC Members | Non-Members |
|---|---|---|
| Grade A | $7.50/gal | $6.00/gal |
| Grade B | $6.00/gal | $5.00/gal |
Culinary Chestnuts
| Grade | KTCC Members | Non-Members |
|---|---|---|
| Grade A | $7.50/gal | $6.00/gal |
| Grade B | $6.00/gal | $5.00/gal |
Hazelnuts
| Species | Price per lb |
|---|---|
| European | $3.75/lb |
| Hybrid | $3.00/lb |
| American | $2.50/lb |
KTCC Membership
Membership is for individuals and organizations who want to support and benefit from a values-driven, regenerative agroforestry network. Members gain access to shared resources, marketing opportunities, and a voice in co-op decisions. Members help build a more resilient and equitable food system from the ground up.
All member classes enjoy these key benefits.
Every member taps into a vibrant network of experts, sharing insights, gear, and support.
Potentially can rent top-notch equipment at low fees
Get coordinated labor support for harvests and key projects.
Enjoy priority access to educational and training programs.
Membership Types
Producer Members
Stop just selling crops. Start owning the supply chain.
Producer Membership puts power back in growers' hands:
Guaranteed market access with transparent, fair pricing
Equity stake in value-added products made from your harvest
Hands-on support from grove to processing line
Voting rights to shape cooperative operations
Producer members earn patronage by selling their crops to KTCC.
Grow your business. Build regenerative systems. Keep the value you create.
Worker Members
We haven’t created the Worker Member class yet.
But when we do, worker members may perform a variety of roles for the cooperative including harvesting, processing crops, transporting equipment, materials, & goods, administrative tasks, research, marketing, managing social media, and education. There is also potential for nursery production and maintenance work in future years.
Worker members will earn patronage through hours they work as employees of the co-op.
Email us if you want to help us build the Worker membership class.
Wholesaler Members
We haven’t created the Wholesale Member class yet.
Wholesaler members will be individuals, businesses, and other organizations that purchase wholesale quantities of the cooperative’s products, including unprocessed crops and processed or value-added products such as oils and flours.
Wholesaler members will earn patronage by purchasing products wholesale from the co-op.
Email us if you want to help us build the Wholesaler membership class.
If you’d like more information about membership, including the crops and products we’re working with, products that are being explored, responsibilities and benefits of membership, and other information, please contact Bern.
Get Involved
Join us in growing a regenerative food system rooted in cooperation, equity, and community. Whether you’re a member, supporter, volunteer, donor, or business partner, there are many ways to contribute to the mission of Keystone Tree Crops Cooperative. Your involvement helps us empower our members and fertilize local food systems.
Keystone Tree Crops Cooperative
Our mission is to support equitable tree-based livelihoods.
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Copyright © Keystone Tree Crops Cooperative 2020-2026