The walnut is one of our region's most abundant foods. Learn ways to prepare and process black walnuts, butternuts, and hickory. We will focus on Black walnuts and walnut processing but also crack other nuts and possibly even taste some other fall fruit. You will be able to take home a handful of processed nuts walnuts and butternuts in their shell for cracking on your own to use in pesto, salad, baking, candy or however you like to eat other nuts! (with instructions on storage and various cracking methods). We'll crack last year's nuts and sample them as well (yes they do stay good that long!). We’ll also share foraging resources, tips, and tricks. Come prepared to get dirty! See list of things below for what to bring. There will be a fire near lunch time and chances to warm yourself along with some stories. We’ll be using some of the nuts we have processed to make a special treat! This beautiful tree has unfortunately been overlooked and even despised by some for the 'mess' its husks make on people's lawns, local parks, and roadways, or the effort it takes to process this protein rich food source. Parts of the husk often adhere to the outside of the shell, making cleaning important if you don't want to eat parts of the bitter husk with your walnuts. Learn how to process this abundant food, as a community, in a fashion that doesn't rely as much on modern machines but instead uses tools you might have lying around and the human body as a source of energy to 'power' those tools. To Bring/wear Clothes you don’t mind getting stained Multiple warm layers Lunch/snacks Water bottle Cup for hot liquids Garden gloves (if you have some. Optional. We’ll provide a few pairs) Walnuts, butternuts, or hickory nuts you’ve collected that have dropped from this year (optional). Any other nuts you have questions about. a bucket, box, and/or plastic bag to take home cleaned nuts in Come prepared to get dirty. Warning: walnut husks will stain your hands for up to 3 weeks and clot