Governor touts Missouri's black walnuts

Gov, Mike Parson declared the last week of September as Black Walnut Week in Missouri.

"Missouri is consistently the nation's leader in black walnut production, which shows the tremendous diversity of state agriculture," Parson said in a statement.

Black walnut trees predominantly grow in the Midwest and in the east-central portion of the U.S.

Such nuts are praised for their edibility but also, when ground, can be used in abrasive cleaning, the statement continued.

"Black walnuts are one of the few crops still picked up by hand," said Chris Chinn, the state's agriculture director.

"Thousands of Missourians will spend time with families picking up black walnuts this fall, a true autumn tradition across the state," Parson added.

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