Late Frost Causes Regional Pawpaw Shortage, Impacting Farmers and Local Businesses
A late-April frost severely damaged pawpaw tree flowers across the region, leading to a significant shortage of the native fruit this season. This scarcity has impacted local farmers, farmers' markets, and culinary businesses, including Silver Spring chef Alex Bilaro of Mmm Umai, who specializes in pawpaw-infused gelato, sorbets, and condiments. Many farmers who typically sell pawpaws at markets, such as the FreshFarm Silver Spring market and the Takoma Park Farmers Market, had limited or no supply this year. Some farmers, like Two Boots Farm, reported losing up to 75% of their pawpaw orchard. The frost also affected other fruit crops, including stone fruits and apples, leading the U.S. Department of Agriculture to approve a disaster declaration for Maryland farms in June, allowing them to apply for emergency loans.
