Silvanus Forestry Shares Decades of Insights

When we try to transform the world’s distressed or abandoned farmland, we'll come across a massive leverage point. That can be a new technology. Or it can be a tree species. Today we’re going to the country of Hungary to focus on a very unique tree. It grows fast, fixes nitrogen, and produces timber that rivals tropical hardwoods in strength and durability. In Hungary, it’s a species that’s woven into songs, poetry, and everyday life — but in parts of Europe and even its native landscape, it’s been labeled “invasive.” But invasive to when and to what conditions? Today, we meet the people who’ve spent decades unlocking the potential of Robinia pseudoacacia. Silvanus Forestry has bred Black locust that grow straighter, faster, and thrives in places many farmers have dismissed or ignored. From honey to industrial lumber, from the Hungarian plains to the New York, Pennsylvania, and Kentucky, this is the story of how one tree species has shaped landscapes, livelihoods, and rural economies.