The J.F. Glidden Homestead and Historical Center’s next Soup-er Sunday program will feature a “Growing Pawpaws, Growing Community” presentation by pawpaw expert and Paw Paw, Illinois Pawpaw Festival founder Austin Cliffe.

The program will begin at noon Feb. 22 at the homestead, 921 W. Lincoln Highway, DeKalb.

Attendees will be introduced to the pawpaw fruit and tree. Cliffe also will highlight pawpaw awareness and cultivation expansion efforts and involvement opportunities through the Pawpaw Festival, Pawpaw Foundation, and university and regional partner collaborations.

“This program reflects what Soup-er Sunday is all about — bringing people together around history, place, and new ideas,” J.F. Glidden Homestead and Historical Center executive director Jessi Haish LaRue said in a news release. “By exploring pawpaws and their role in the Midwest, we’re connecting our historic site to living traditions, environmental stewardship, and the future of community-based education.”

The program is free for homestead members and $5 for nonmembers. Proceeds from the program will go toward the homestead. Soup and a house tour also will be provided.

The Joseph F. Glidden Homestead and Historical Center is a nonprofit organization working to preserve the home and barn while providing educational opportunities to the public.

For information, call 815-756-7904, visit gliddenhomestead.org, or email jessi@gliddenhomestead.org.