ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, February 18, 1996 TAG: 9602190086
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
COLUMN: New River Journal
SOURCE: MADELYN ROSENBERG
Where oh where is dear little Suzie?
Where oh where is dear little Suzie?
Where oh where is dear little Suzie?
Way down yonder in the pawpaw patch!
As often as we sang about Suzie in Mrs. Herndon's fourth-grade music class, I have to admit that until a few weeks ago, I've never been sure exactly what that child was doing in her free time.
Seems I was under the gross misconception that pawpaws were some variety of cotton. It made sense at the time. If pawpaws were food, wouldn't Suzie have been sticking them in her mouth instead of her pocket?
But a story on National Public Radio about the soft, yellow fruit, a distant relative of the apple, opened my eyes.
Not only did the story explain what pawpaws were, it turns out that in some neighboring states, like Kentucky, extension agents are looking at pawpaws as a possible supplement to tobacco crops.
Curious, I called Virginia Tech's Cooperative Extension office to see if Virginia was on the pawpaw bandwagon, too.
``Pawpaws? That's a good one,'' extension agent Jim Jones said with a laugh. ``Hey, Herb. This lady wants to know about pawpaws.''
Or, scientifically speaking, Asimina triloba.
I learned quickly that while people may be considering the fruit in Maryland and South Carolina, in Virginia it is still destined to a life of obscurity. The pawpaw, the largest native fruit found in America, dents easily, for one thing. And it needs refrigeration immediately after picking. Another obstacle: There just isn't a market for pawpaws right now, though they reportedly taste like bananas.
Virginia is, however, checking out other fruits and vegetables to supplement tobacco crops. The Oriental persimmon, for example.
``The Japanese used them as source of sugar, since they didn't have cane or beets,'' Jones said.
Of course in this country, we have both. Jones and other agents are aware of that, which brings them to the first step in any supplemental crop they look at: studying the potential market.
``We had some ripened persimmons and took them to an extension specialist meeting of about 75 people," said horticulturist Herb Stiles. ``One person refused to eat them, another didn't like them, but at least 75 percent of the people there said they were good or very good. That kind of information is really helpful.''
The persimmon isn't cheap. ``It's a gourmet item,'' Stiles said. ``Who knows? We could possibly develop it into an export to other states north of us.''
Alas, the persimmon comes with problems of its own. Unless you eat it when it's perfectly ripe, for example, you might as well be sucking on a lemon. But researchers are working on it.
Meanwhile, Virginia's scientists and farmers also are experimenting with blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, grapes, broccoli, cauliflower and a fall tomato crop.
Some people refer to such crops as ``tobacco alternatives'' for farmers whose mainstay is losing popularity in this country. But in this state, there is no such thing as a tobacco alternative.
Stiles prefers to call such experimental crops ``supplements,'' because while there may come a day when farmers can't make a living off tobacco alone, they can't make a living just selling persimmons, either.
``You have to keep this in mind for any crop: Before you produce it, you need a foundation that will support the producers,'' Stiles said. ``You have to know pest management, diseases, marketing. The whole works. You can't just come up with a name of a fruit and instantly supplant another commodity that is established.''
Even if that fruit was in this country before we were.
Even if that fruit is a pawpaw.
LENGTH: Medium: 75 linesby CNB