Meraux Foundation Hosts the Gulf South Pawpaw Symposium
The Gulf South Pawpaw Symposium took place on December 3 at Docville Farm, bringing in a collection of backyard gardeners, brewers, chefs, and farmers from across the Gulf South to learn about a once obscure American fruit—the pawpaw.
Pawpaw trees are native to the eastern United States and are the largest edible fruit native to the country. They are relatively easy to grow and are tolerant of a wide range of conditions, making them a good choice for backyard gardeners and small-scale farmers in many parts of the country.
The event was organized by the Meraux Foundation and held at its Docville Farm, which provided a stage for experts to share insights into the historical, cultural, and agricultural significance of the pawpaw tree.
“We’re in the midst of a pawpaw renaissance, and it’s really exciting,” said pawpaw enthusiast and Meraux Foundation Coastal and Environmental Program Manager Blaise Pezold, who spearheaded the event. “The pawpaw is a fantastic tree for landscaping, and the fruit is versatile. We’re exploring ways to promote growing the trees in home gardens and by commercial farmers in our community.”
“It took a lot of folks coming together to make the Gulf South Pawpaw Symposium a success, and I’d like to thank all our event partners, including the LSU AgCenter, Chef's Brigade Nola, Sprout Nola, and Southern Food and Beverage Museum,” he said.
Setting the tone for the event, keynote speaker Rodney Dever of Peterson's Pawpaws provided an entertaining and educational introduction to the pawpaw. Balancing humor and expansive experience, Dever shared tips for growing and harvesting the fruit as well as uses for its unique flavor -- including ice cream, bread, and even wine and beer.
Other speakers included Dr. Tammy Greer of the United Houma Nation, who demonstrated how the pawpaw tree is valued in Native American culture for its nutritional content, medicinal uses, and cultural significance; Retired LSU AgCenter Agent Charlie Overstreet provided insight into his experience growing and grafting pawpaws in Baton Rouge; and Pezold spoke about pawpaw diversity, its distribution related to soil type, and keys to growing mass quantities in pots.
"Having the opportunity to introduce a new specialty crop with a solid historical significance to our local food system was really rewarding. Pawpaws have a place in the home garden landscape and in our commercial fruit production orchards, and this event got the right regionally accurate information out to what I hope will become a new cohort of growers producing this tasty fruit for our restaurants, breweries, farmers markets, and personal tables," said LSU AgCenter Associate Extension Agent Anna Timmerman.
The event was a resounding success, attracting nearly 100 people from throughout the Gulf Coast. The first thirty people to sign up were gifted their own pawpaw sapling, giving them the opportunity to put into practice all they learned at the event– and hopefully to begin harvesting their own fruit.
"The Pawpaw Symposium was exciting. It was not only informative, but it was wonderful to have so many people who want to learn about, save, and share information about this native food plant," said Liz Williams, the founder of the National Food & Beverage Foundation and the Southern Food & Beverage Museum.
"The Pawpaw Symposium brought together different communities of growers, from home growers and nursery growers to farmers, which is exactly what we need to ensure this important plant keeps growing and changing in the Gulf. Learning, celebrating, and distributing plants across our region will have ripple effects for hundreds of years to come- a true community effort to save and celebrate the pawpaw," said Marguerite Green, the executive director of SPROUT NOLA.
The event came as another agricultural project at the Meraux Foundation’s Docville Farm was bearing fruit. The innovative citrus agricultural demonstration project has begun producing fruit for local food banks.
“We are always looking for opportunities to learn about agricultural innovation and are so proud to have been able to create an environment where we can share this information with the community,” said Rita Gue, president of the Meraux Foundation.
Pawpaw trees are a unique and delicious addition to any backyard garden, while being easy to cultivate, sustainable in nature, and versatile, they are also experiencing a growing demand, making them an easy consideration for not only the casual gardener but the commercial farmer as well.