Pawpaws finding a niche in our area
For most of my life, pawpaw fruit was something I’d heard about but never tasted. No fault of my own. I mean, I’ve never seen pawpaws in a grocery store. Yet, I’d read the rapturous descriptions of their custard-like texture, and how the flavor is an exotic mix of mango, pear, apricot, and banana. So, what was the disconnect between such an amazing fruit and grocery store shelves?
The answer is simple: Pawpaw fruits don’t travel well. At all. And they have a really short shelf life; they go from perfect to overripe really quickly. I was surprised to learn, then, that you can buy pawpaws at several markets in the Delaware Valley.
This news came from Nina Berryman, Farm Manager at Weavers Way. She said, “Pawpaws are back at Weavers Way! This fruit that ‘flies under the radar’ is being harvested at the only co-op in the country that has its own farm: Weavers Way Farms.” Berryman noted that, “Pawpaws are ‘hyperlocal’, don’t ship well, and only like certain climates .... The [harvest] season is short only about two weeks, maybe three if we are lucky.”
How is it that the Weavers Way markets are able to offer this ephemeral fruit? I learned that in their Philadelphia orchard, they have 24 pawpaw trees, and it’s just a short hop to transport the fruits to their farm market, and stores in Mount Airy, Germantown, and Ambler.
In my conversation with Berryman, she said that, “The pawpaws fly off the shelves. Some folks, who are regular customers, just happen to see them in the stores. But we have lots of followers on social media who come specifically for the pawpaws.”
Weavers Way also has two vegetable farms in Philadelphia. While farming in a city may sound strange, Berryman pointed out that, “Urban farming has a long history, back to victory gardens and even before. Cities have always had an agricultural background, with small urban farms and people growing food in their backyards.” She added, “Now, so many schools have started vegetable gardens, and rooftop gardens are becoming more popular.”
One of the two Weavers Way farms is Henry Got Crops, an educational farm at the W. B. Saul High School in Philadelphia, where students and volunteers play an active role in the farm. The farms are not certified organic, but do grow organically.
Says Berryman, “Weavers Way is a member-owned co-op. It is a really unique business structure. But anyone can shop there, you don’t have to be a member.”
Berryman mentioned that pawpaws played a large part in American history. They’re native to the eastern U.S. from Canada to Florida, and can be found growing wild in yards all over PA. (I’ve been introduced to some in backyards in West Chester.) Native Americans used the trees for their fruits and medicinal properties. Pawpaws were rumored to be George Washington’s favorite dessert, and Thomas Jefferson had a pawpaw tree at his Monticello estate
The pawpaw (Asimina triloba) is the northernmost New World representative of a chiefly tropical family, Annonaceae, the Custard-Apple family. It also has the distinction of being the largest native North American fruit, since apples are not native. I think it’s pretty cool that this tropical-looking native tree with tropical-flavored fruit is at home here in southeastern Pennsylvania. And that it’s quite hardy in our growing area (USDA Zone 7).
The tree is small, usually not more than twenty-five feet tall. The leaves are long, 6 to 12 inches, and tend to hang limply during the summer months. Oneto two-inch, bell-shaped, downward-facing, dark maroon flowers appear before the leaves. The variably-shaped, smooth-skinned fruits can be anywhere from 2 to 5 inches long. And when they ripen and fall to the ground, the aroma is intoxicating.
Note: For more information about Weavers Way Farms, go to https://weaversway.coop/
And, thanks to all of you who wrote to share your monarch butterfly stories.
Pam Baxter is an avid organic vegetable gardener who lives in Kimberton. Direct e-mail to pamelacbaxter@gmail.com, or send mail to P.O. Box 80, Kimberton, PA 19442. Share your gardening stories on Facebook at “Chester County Roots.” Pam’s book for children and families, Big Life Lessons from Nature’s Little Secrets, is available on Amazon, along with her companion field journal, Explore Outdoors, at Amazon.com/author/pamelabaxter