CCE Oswego County and CCE Harvest NY will be hosting a state-wide conference on a native fruit called pawpaw (Asimina triloba). The conference will be held on Saturday, October 1^st from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the historic Kallet Theater in Pulaski, NY. Pawpaw is the largest edible fruit native to North America. It looks tropical and has a flavor most commonly associated with mango and banana. Its natural habitat extends from Michigan and New York to as far south as northern Florida, and as far west as Oklahoma and Kansas. While the fruit looks and tastes tropical, it can withstand cold temperatures down to USDA hardiness zone 5 and can be grown alongside other fruits right here in upstate New York.

Recently, new cultivars have allowed for a niche industry to form and there is a lot of interest in seeing this native fruit return. The fruit begins to ripen in late September and continues through the first two weeks of October. One of the advantages of growing pawpaws is they are relatively pest free, making them attractive to small-scale agricultural producers. Beyond eating the fresh fruit, there are value-added products that can be made from pawpaw pulp, including pawpaw ice cream, jams, and even alcoholic beverages. However, one of the key challenges of creating a niche industry in New York is the lack of education and awareness about this unique fruit. Therefore, the goal of the conference is to help bring the North American pawpaw out of the shadows. Conference organizers want to help fill in some important gaps in knowledge about this amazing fruit and to lay out a vision for the future.

This conference will cover pawpaw history, best fruit production practices, nutrition, processing, value-added products, and marketing. Some of our guest speakers will be recognized growers and researchers from across the country. Attendees will also be able to develop professional relationships and help build a network across New York. The cost to attend this all-day event is $40 per person. Registration is required. The conference will include sample-tasting for fresh pawpaw fruit, pawpaw jam and pawpaw ice cream. For more information about the conference, including the conference agenda, or to register please go to the CCE Oswego website at: thatscooperativeextension.org/events/2022/10/01/new-york-state-pawpaw-conference

For further information, please contact CCE of Oswego County website. For further information, please contact Joshua Vrooman, Agriculture Educator for CCE Oswego County at jwv33@cornell.edu or 315-963-7286 ext. 200 or Anya Osatuke, Small Fruits Specialist for CCE Harvest NY at aco56@cornell.edu or 607-752-2793.