PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM 111 collateral while they went to withdraw cash for their ill-gotten gains. “I don’t have that problem today, though,” Hans notes. “I don’t back down for anybody.” A protective papa bear when it comes to his trees, Hans also has a strict policy on gathering nuts from the ground only. “I’ve seen visitors use ropes with grappling hooks, throwing them up in the trees and pulling branches down, whole branches,” he says, appalled. “Or they use big sticks to beat them out of the trees.” Good Encounters Of course, the good encounters outweigh the bad. “My favorite memories are of the customers I meet,” shares Hans, adding that they sometimes bring gifts. “I had a customer bring chestnut ravioli with chanterelle mushrooms as the filling. That was fantastic.” He’s also been the beneficiary of chocolate chestnut cake and chestnut chicken soup, a traditional New Year’s meal in parts of Asia. Chestnut trees aren’t native to California. The ones at Skyline Chestnuts, which include varieties from Europe, China, Japan and America, were brought over by Gold Rush hopefuls. People who hail from the East Coast, Europe and Asia are much more familiar with the tree and come to Skyline for a taste of home. One of Hans’ loyal customers hails all the way from Japan, visiting during her autumn trips to see relatives in San Francisco. “She always planned it around chestnut harvest so that she could come here,” says Hans. that’s history Of the orchard visitors who live in the States, Hans estimates that more than half come from the East Coast, where this special tree once grew in abundance. “The chestnut trees were so numerous that it was said PHOTOGRAPHY: ROBB MOST
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