Meet R. Neal Peterson

Born and raised in southern West Virginia, as a teenager Neal became a self-taught naturalist of the Appalachian flora.

In 1976 while a graduate student at WVU, he tasted his first pawpaw fruit – and was immediately converted. He decided to domesticate them if he could, hoping to bring them the popularity they deserve. This was an avocation because full-time from 1980-1998 he was an agricultural economist with the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture). During those years, he pursued breeding, two orchards, 1500 pawpaw seedlings. Thirty years later (and reams of data later) he selected the best seven and released them.

Neal continues to breed pawpaws.