Only after the last tree has been cut down, Only after the last river has been poisoned, Only after the last fish has been caught, Only then will you find money cannot be eaten.
~ Cree Prophecy
On my homestead in the Colorado high country, the main tree is t
he Piñon Pine interspersed with a smattering of juniper and, along the creek, some big willow-leaf cottonwoods. Truth be told, until a few years ago I never made the connection between these tough, short trees that dominate the dry southwest landscape in Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico
—over 36 million acres of them–and delectable, pricey pine nuts. The best pine nuts are actually the seeds of the Colorado Piñon Pine (Pinus edulis). Shelled, they go for about $36 a pound!! A lot of what is pawned off as pine nuts in the grocery store comes from…surprise…China!!