Pawpaws : The Complete Growing and Marketing Guide by Blake Cothron

Bring an almost-forgotten fruit back to life-and into your business. Pawpaws, also called "Indiana bananas," are North America's largest native fruit. Long overlooked, they're now exploding in popularity with chefs, craft brewers, and fruit lovers-and Pawpaws is the first comprehensive guide to small-scale commercial pawpaw production. Why This Book Matters Whether you're a market grower, orchardist, or food forest steward, adding pawpaws can diversify your crops, strengthen your bottom line, and connect you with a fast-growing niche market. This book shows you exactly how to cultivate, manage, and market this unique fruit for success. What You'll Learn Inside, you'll find practical, field-tested advice on every stage of pawpaw cultivation, including:The fascinating botany and cultural history of pawpawsHow to site and plan a productive orchardTips for selecting top-quality nursery treesDescriptions of over 50 cultivar profiles Propagation, grafting, and organic growing techniquesEffective pest and disease management strategiesMarketing fresh pawpaws, seeds, and nursery startsProcessing and creating value-added pawpaw products. Why Trust This Guide? Author Blake Cothron, organic farmer and nurseryman, brings over 20 years of hands-on expertise in horticulture and sustainable agriculture. He operates Heritage Nursery, a USDA Certified Organic research farm specializing in pawpaws, and is widely recognized as a trusted voice in organic growing. Endorsements highlight the importance of this work: "A much-needed contribution to the pursuit of pawpaw culture." - R. Neal Peterson, founder, Peterson Pawpaws"Blake Cothron is an authority on pawpaws and provides a clear, detailed guide for commercial success in growing this oddly appealing species." - Pam Dawling, author, The Year-Round Hoophouse The Opportunity Is Now Interest in pawpaws is skyrocketing. Don't miss the chance to grow this extraordinary fruit, diversify your offerings, and lead the way in a growing the movement for local, sustainable food. Discover the commercial potential of pawpaws-and start building your own success story today.
Binding: Paperback / softback