Whenever I tell people that I am the farm manager for the Sugarsnap farm they always ask me what I grow. I still find it difficult to know how to clearly answer that question because we grow so many different things. We do have staple crops, however, and buttercup squash is our largest both by weight of harvest and by field space. It is a good crop for us because our customers love Sugarsnap’s buttercup squash soup and because winter squash store well.
When I set up the field for the squash planting and the seeds start to germinate it always seems like such a large space, far more than the plants need. But they fill that space up in a hurry. The vines already completely cover a quarter acre of field space. Last year we harvested about a ton of buttercup squash. I am hoping this year we can get even more with a little diligence on my part.
