Ron, very few growing in the wild here in the U.S. after the importation of Asian varieties about 120 years ago which brought along a viral infection which the U.S. native species was very susceptible to. Some call it the largest ecological disaster in recorded history, but many do not know about it.
Jarred, my orchard is in its 9th year and production has increased every year but I keep selling out earlier. Last year I sold out by early November. Though chestnuts are traditionally a "holiday season" sort of thing, many people are very anxious and start ordering as soon as I have them available in mid-September (my rare and very popular Italian varities will become available next week). Ariel tells me King Solomon ate 10 pounds a week, though I'm sure this is one of the instances when he is pulling my leg! LOL On the other hand, I do have a Jewish customer in New York that eats 20 pounds a week! They store well in a refrigerator so it's best that folks not wait too long or they'll be stuck with imports that arrive in not very good shape after being fumigated with mehtyl bromide and coming on a slow boat.
Felix, chestnuts are best if either roasted or, as some people unlike me prefer, boiled. Some varieties are okay when raw, but even they are usually better if cooked. It's not hard, but they are considered a "slow food" because of the peeling involved, etc.
Steve, I have a French cultivar I'm growing, Bouche de Betizac, a hybrid between sativa and crenata (European and Japanese). I have no interest into getting into valued added products because of the labor involved. It either requires a lot of expensive equipment ($100,000+) or cheap labor (ala China). In addition, about 95% of the chestnuts consumed in the U.S. are imported and are often in bad shape when they arrive so ours sell at a great premium.
Here is a fun little radio spot earlier this week from a short food segment on a Baltimore radio station
http://tinyurl.com/258z4p.
Thanks for the comments. If you decide you want to try them, don't be worried about offending me if you don't think they're great. I like them, but some customers like them much more than me (one custoer would like 20 pounds a week year-round if he could get them) and some never bother to re-order. Certainly don't order to help out my "project". I sell out easily already.