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Pawpaw, a fruit that differs significantly from mainstream fruits in many aspects, has several advantages, especially from a farmer’s perspective. It is highly valued (Clymer sells it for $5 to $7 per pound, and it’s even more expensive elsewhere) and requires low input (it is largely unaffected by many pests and fungal diseases, making it easy to grow organically). This fruit, which thrives in frost-prone areas, can also be cultivated in regions without frost criteria. Climate change is extending the ideal temperature levels for pawpaw cultivation northward, particularly creating an ideal climate environment for the fruit in New England. However, increased extreme weather conditions such as droughts and heavy rainfall may pose a long-term threat to pawpaw. For this reason, festivals in places like Pennsylvania and Ohio will continue to be well-positioned to expand the fruit’s following.

Adam D’Angelo serves as the egg cultivation operations manager at the Savanna Institute, a nonprofit organization focused on Midwest agroforestry. Pawpaw holds a special place in his life; as a child, he discovered the pawpaw tree at Cornell University’s MacDaniels Nut Grove thanks to his brother, leading him to research extensively online. His projection focuses on starting with pawpaw to create a more resilient agricultural system. This spring, the organization launched its first large-scale research orchard by planting 800 trees on one acre of land in New Jersey and plans to plant two more in Wisconsin.

D’Angelo aims to develop pawpaws with firm flesh that won’t easily bruise during transport and have thicker skins (Bonor mentions that they package pawpaws in a single row on bubble wrap). A variety that changes color from green to yellow when ripe would allow farmers to harvest the fruit more efficiently, as currently, the only way to gauge ripeness is by squeezing each one. With some enhancements, pawpaw can help provide diversity on farms in the Eastern United States.

Ohio State University has been researching ways to enhance pawpaw’s profitability for small farms since 2006 and holds an annual conference to discuss fruit production and marketing.

At the Horn Farmer Center, neighbors managing a growing community garden hope that pawpaw can play an even larger role. This year’s festival, now referred to as PawpawFest, will broaden perspectives by considering a range of native fruits central to a vision of a healthy future for the farm. The expanded focus could educate visitors about “bioregional living” and provide guidance on elevating agricultural practices in relation to “the essence and specificity of this particular climate and soil.”

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Source: Tarım Haberleri