IT'S THAT TIME OF THE YEAR WHEN SQUIRRELS ARE BUSY STORING AWAY
NUTS FOR ANOTHER LONG WINTER.
BUT THEY'VE GOT SOME COMPETITION.
"IN WISCONSIN" LIZ KOERNER INTRODUCES YOU TO A FATHER AND
SON TEAM WITH AN UNUSUAL FALL RITUAL AROUND PLATTEVILLE.
>> BRANDON?
IF I COULD GET YOU TO START PUTTING THE PICKERS IN THE
TRAILER AND I'LL SHUT THE GARAGE DOOR HERE.
>> ROGER LANGE AND HIS SON BRANDON WOULD NOT BE INSULTED IF
YOU CALLED THEM A LITTLE NUTTY.
♪ ♪
>> DO YOU WANT ONE OR TWO PICKERS?
>> TWO.
>> ALL RIGHT.
>> IN FACT, THEY HAVE AN AUTUMN RITUAL THAT ALL BUT GUARANTEES
THAT THE LANGE FAMILY NAME AND THE WORD NUTS ARE USED IN THE
SAME SENTENCE.
>> LOOKS LIKE THERE'S QUITE A BIT OF SEED HERE SO--
>> EVERY YEAR THE LANGES COLLECT NUTS LIKE ACORNS
ON LAWNS AROUND TOWN
USING THESE FUNNY LOOKING MACHINES.
♪ ♪
PUSHING PAST EACH OTHER WITH THEIR PICKERS, AT TIMES
THEY APPEAR TO BE A DANCING DUET.
BRANDON SAYS THERE'S A GOOD REASON WHY HE HELPS HIS DAD
EVERY YEAR.
>> FUN.
>> THIS ANNUAL FATHER-SON ADVENTURE GOT STARTED 11 YEARS
AGO WHEN BRANDON WAS ONLY TWO.
AT THAT AGE, HE WASN'T MUCH HELP BUT THINGS HAVE CERTAINLY
CHANGED OVER THE YEARS.
>> I NEED A HELPER.
HE'S PRETTY -- PRETTY INVALUABLE.
I MEAN, HE'S -- HE'S A GOOD, HARD WORKER.
>> AND HARD WORK IS WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT.
BRANDON AND HIS FATHER START THE NUT PICKING SEASON IN MID
AUGUST, COLLECTING THEIR FIRST CROP UNDER BURR OAK TREES.
>> THIS IS BUR OAK.
IT'S AN ACORN FROM THE BUR OAK TREE.
IT HAS CURLIES ON THE END AND THE CAP IS ATTACHED TO THE SEED.
THAT'S HOW YOU NORMALLY SEE IT.
I GO BACK TO THE SAME TREE EVERY YEAR BECAUSE THAT'S
THE FIRST TREE THAT DROPS.
>> AFTER THE BURR OAK HARVEST, THE LANGES MOVE ON TO WHITE OAK
FOLLOWED BY RED OAK AND GATHER A LITTLE BUTTERNUT AND SHAGBARK
HICKORY ALONG THE WAY.
THEY SELL MOST OF THE NUTS TO THE DNR'S WILSON STATE TREE
NURSERY IN BOSCOBEL AND EARN $25 TO $35 A BUSHEL.
ROGER ALREADY HAS A FULL TIME JOB SO THE CASH FOR COLLECTING
NUTS IS A BONUS.
BRANDON SAID HE'S SAVING FOR COLLEGE AND A TRUCK.
YOU CAN PROBABLY GUESS WHICH COMES FIRST.
>> TRUCK. [LAUGHS]
>> BUT THEIR WORK ISN'T DONE WHEN THEY PACK UP AND HEAD FOR
HOME.
THAT'S WHEN THESE PICKERS GET PICKY.
THEY HAND SORT THE BUR OAK ACORNS AND PICK OUT THE TRASH.
>> THE LEAVES, TWIGS, STICKS,
ANYTHING THAT LOOKS LIKE IT'S JUNK.
>> A LOT OF THIS STUFF WILL GO DOWN THROUGH THE MESH.
THAT'S WHY I'M SWISHING IT AROUND.
>> WHITE OAK AND RED OAK ACORNS ARE EASIER TO SORT
THAN BUR OAK.
THEY JUST SHOVEL THEM INTO A BIG BUCKET OF WATER.
>> ANYTHING WITH AIR IN IT WILL ACTUALLY FLOAT.
IT MAKES IT NICE FOR SORTING.
LOOK AND SEE HOW WELL IT DID.
IT LOOKS LIKE IT WILL STILL NEED A LITTLE BIT OF TOUCH UP ON IT.
>> AFTER THE LANGES DELIVER THE NUTS TO THE DNR, THEY'RE PLANTED
IN THE STATE'S TREE NURSERY.
WHEN THE TREES ARE TWO TO THREE YEARS OLD, THE DNR SELLS THEM TO
THE PUBLIC.
ROGER AND BRANDON SEE EVIDENCE OF THEIR HARD WORK IN A PRIVATE
PLANTATION JUST DOWN THE ROAD FROM THEIR PLATTEVILLE HOME.
THE DNR ESTIMATES ABOUT A MILLION TREES ARE NOW GROWING
OUT OF THE LANGE'S SEED COLLECTING EFFORTS.
>> THERE'S A LOT OF WORK IN THIS, AND KIND OF GIVES YOU A
WARM, FUZZY FEELING KNOWING THAT, YOU KNOW, I PROVIDED A LOT
OF SEEDS TO THE STATE.
>> THE SERVICE THAT WHO ELSE WILL GET IT DONE, YOU KNOW?
>> ROGER LANGE SAYS WHITE OAK ACORNS PAY THE BEST.
THE DEMAND FROM THE STATE IS DOWN THIS YEAR BECAUSE THEY'RE
NOT SELLING AS MANY TREES.