Hickory Oil

Today, the Northeast lacks a staple oil crop, and depends largely on canola oil (imported from Canada or the Northern Plains) and olive oil (imported from the Mediterranean or California). Breadtree is partnering with Yellowbud Farm and Northern Forest Foods to prove the investment case for hickory as a regionally-adaptive source of high-value, nutrient-dense, delicious edible oil.

We see hickory oil production as an ideal agricultural complement for Northeast chestnut production because it produces a perennial staple fat (complementing a perennial staple carbohydrate) and thrives in poorly drained soil (where chestnuts generally do not). The economics of hickory oil production are less proven than those of chestnut, but current harvest data is promising, and suggests hickory could compete with olive and canola oil on a gallons/acre basis. We’ve established the largest domestic planting of hickory for oil production, and plan to quintuple hickory acreage in 2024, while assembling a nationally important hickory breeding population.