Of pawpaws and prairies

Kansas City Today

Missouri has a tropical fruit of its very own: the pawpaw. Although this Midwest native is getting more popular, you're unlikely to find them in a grocery store yet. Plus: While corn and soybeans dominate the Midwestern landscape today, some farmers are integrating strips of native prairie back into their fields.

The pawpaw grows throughout nearly half of the U.S., but most people have never tried it. Some farmer's markets and festivals are spreading the word, though. Harvest Public Media’s Kate Grumke reports on the push to popularize the elusive pawpaw.

Agriculture replaced nearly all of the original prairie in the Great Plains and Midwest. But a growing number of farmers are incorporating strips of prairie into their row-crop fields. These colorful corridors help with soil and water quality and wildlife. As Harvest Public Media’s Rachel Cramer reports, there are efforts underway to expand the use of prairie strips.

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Kansas City Today is hosted today by Nomin Ujiyediin. It is produced by Byron Love and KCUR Studios, and edited by Gabe Rosenberg and Lisa Rodriguez.

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