Join us as we launch what could become one of the Panhandle's most unique community growing projects.

During this engaging evening, you'll:

• Discover the fascinating history of North America's forgotten fruit.

• Learn why pawpaws once played an important role in American life, and why they're making a comeback.

• Hear how a community-led citizen science project could help establish pawpaw trees across the Panhandle and simple ways you can support this!

• Explore other unique and delicious fruits that can thrive in our northern climate.

Have you ever heard of a pawpaw?

It's the largest fruit native to North America, and our only native custard fruit. Rich, creamy, tropical, and fragrant, a ripe pawpaw has been compared to a blend of banana, mango, and vanilla custard. It's delicious fresh and equally at home in breads, pies, muffins, ice cream, sorbets, fruit leather, even beer and mead. Once you taste one, you're hooked.

Pawpaws were abundant across the American landscape.  Lewis & Clark referenced their importance as a food source. For centuries, pawpaws nourished Indigenous communities, early explorers, and settlers. Today, they're making a comeback, and local seed and plant breeder Joseph Zarr believes the Idaho Panhandle could become part of their next chapter.

Over the past four years, Joseph has been growing and selecting northern-hardy pawpaws that can survive and thrive in our climate. Now he's ready to officially launch the Panhandle Pawpaw Project, a citizen-powered effort to establish breeding populations of pawpaw trees across our region and bring this remarkable fruit back into our modern food system. 

Whether you're a foodie, gardener, fruit grower, food forest enthusiast, plant nerd, history buff, or simply love discovering something new, this promises to be a fun and fascinating evening.