The unpredictable bouts of extreme weather due to climate change hurting some traditional crops has made pawpaws an appealing alternative. Pawpaws are North America’s largest native fruit and are exceedingly rare, found mainly in the wild across 26 states or in small orchards in Appalachia, where the trees have historically thrived. Praised for their flavor, which is sometimes described as a cross between a mango and banana with the texture of a ripe avocado. The custard-like fruit is an ideal spoonable dessert.
In 2022, IE Merchantville planted two Paw-Paws in Wellwood Park. You won’t find them in the supermarket but some plant breeders are trying to change that. Project Pawpaw - sustainable crops for a changing world - is a crowdfunded effort to bring pawpaws to supermarket produce aisles, has a research orchard in Southern New Jersey and is planning another in Wisconsin brings warmer temperatures and more erratic weather to the region, a small but growing number of farmers are drawn to pawpaws’ low maintenance and adaptability. Read this article in the Washington Post.