One of North America’s oldest food forests stands tall in Chester County thanks to decades of agroforestry started by John W. Hershey in the early 1900s, writes J.F. Pirro for Main Line Today.
After working on tree improvement programs during the Dust Bowl, Hershey went to Downingtown and Guthriesville with the best native saplings to promote a nut tree farm.
On eight acres of his homestead, he cultivated a diverse array of trees such as walnut, chestnut, persimmon, hickory, and more. He called it “the number one tree nut farm in America.” He cultivated it until his death in 1967.
Despite urban development, around 200 of Hershey’s original trees remain. Advocates like Dale Hendricks and new property steward Bill Fitts are working to preserve and continue his vision. More trees are being propagated across the region and beyond, including in Landenberg, Chadds Ford, and Vermont.
The Downingtown Shade Tree Commission sponsored a plaque that memorializes the 1921 founding of Hershey’s Nut Tree Nurseries.
“If propagated, these trees would still do well around here. What should move people are the ideas of regenerative agriculture, establishing the best carbon footprint, and the diversity of farming systems. That’s the Hershey story,” said Hendricks.
The forest is now part of a community on private property to keep preserving it.
Read more about John Hershey’s fantastical nut tree farm and how to preserve food forests for the future in Main Line Today.
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Editor’s Note: This post first appeared on VISTA Today in July 2025.
