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Locally Grown Bananas

Pawpaws are native to Michigan and they are the closest thing we have to a tropical banana. They produce a tasty sweet-smelling flesh that is like a blend of bananas, papaya, mango and pineapple. My attempts to plant them in our woods failed. Fortunately when in season this unique fruit can be found at some farmers markets.
One day while visiting a Michigan farmers market I was surprised to find long yellow bananas that are not native to Michigan. Although I know that with season extensions and creativity some people can grow amazing crops in their hoop houses. On our farm I haphazardly experienced some banana tree growing. Like many farms that were once generational farms we have two houses. Since we can’t live in both of them simultaneously we rent one house out and live in the other. It never occurred to me that there was ever a slight possibility to be able to grow bananas, nor did I ever consider how much it would cost to grow bananas until my new neighbors from the South came with a fine specimen of a banana tree. Winter came and without my knowledge the banana tree sat cozy in their garage staying warm with electric heaters. I only learned of the cozy trees lifestyle when I received the ever so unexpectedly large electric bill. I now have some assemblance of how much one locally grown banana would cost at a Michigan Farmers Market. I will first have to get a second mortgage before I will be able to afford one. Until than I will stick with the Pawpaws.
Marian Listwak, White Pine Farm