The pawpaw (Asimina triloba) is a fruiting tree native to the eastern United States, growing from the Florida lowlands up to the Southern Tier in New York. It is believed that the pawpaw's range is as large as it is because Indigenous Peoples cultivated this tree. Pawpaws have great value as a food crop. They contain 7 of the 9 essential amino acids and are an excellent source of iron and manganese. 

The pawpaw patch in Lansing has attracted much interest due to the large, flavorful fruits and strong trees that grow there. Pawpaw trees grow up to about 35 feet tall. Pawpaws need around 5 to 6 years to begin growing fruits and flowers. Their maroon-colored flowers open between March and May, and fruit become ripe from August through October. Compared to pawpaws that grow in the wild in the Midwest, some of the fruits of the Lansing pawpaws can be 2 - 5 times larger. 

This guide, written by Anya Osatuke, Berry Specialist with CCE Harvest NY, Sean Dembrosky of Edible Acres in Trumansburg, NY, and Marvin Pritts of Cornell University, shares practical information on how to grow and care for pawpaws, based on conversations with growers and researchers in New York State and the information provided by the references cited. 

Many growers who allow customers to come and pick their own vegetables and fruits have been concerned about how that will work in this time of social distancing and closed businesses. At this time, the state has not prohibited U-Pick or on-farm sales. Cornell has just released a document outlining best practices and ideas for growers who choose to allow the public on their farms. 

In the past few months, several growers across WNY have observed stem galls in their blueberry fields. While somewhat uncommon, the blueberry stem gall wasp (Hemadas nubilipennis) is an insect native to Eastern North America. It is found in both low and high bush blueberry plants in the wild and in cultivated fields. In some regions and varieties the wasp can multiply to high levels, causing economic injury in commercial fields. 

Hemp, a multi-use crop that has been cultivated for centuries, is increasingly cultivated in New York. 'Industrial hemp' is a non-intoxicant version of Cannabis sativa with potential use as fiber, grain or processed consumer products. Hemp is a controlled substance, regulated by the US Drug Enforcement Agency. New York is one of the states with a sanctioned program to study growth, cultivation and marketing of the crop. 

In 2018 CCE worked with two farms in Central and Northern New York to begin to understand nutrient dynamics in the production of edible hemp. The end product may be a microgreen for salad style consumption, juice or smoothies; or formulated into other edible products. Although we initially began to work with microgreens, farmers have found interest in edible portions of later stages of crop growth too. In both situations the crop was grown inside a greenhouse; one in mineral soil, the other in potting soil.