With cooler temperatures and the transition into fall comes the shift into autumn vegetables. In the coming weeks members will start to see winter squash available in the share room. We were all excited to harvest wagon loads of these tasty gems. After the harvest, the squash is cured in the greenhouse for about 10 days to prolong storage life. The curing stage slows the fruit's respiration rate, and toughens the skin. If you poke your head into the greenhouse this week, you may get a chance to see the bounty of squash curing before we pack the highest quality ones for winter storage.

As usual we grew some tried and true varieties from previous seasons, but also experimented with a few new ones. First on the list to distribute are our Zeppelin Delicata (elongated yellow with green stripes) and Carnival Acorn squash (flecked with dark green, orange, and cream). Delicata is known for its sweetness and can convert skeptical eaters into winter squash enthusiasts. Both of these varieties have the shortest shelf life so enjoy while they are here. In trying new varieties we did not have success with Marina di Chioggia or Seminole. There were small harvests of Spaghetti squash (yellow) and Blue Hubbard (dusky blue). We welcome back after a season's hiatus. . . Tetsukabuto (dark green). This is a Japanese variety that stores very well, with an excellent sweet, nutty flavor. Of course, what winter squash patch is complete without rows and rows of Butternut squash? Due to its high yield and great storage ability, Butternut is the majority of our winter squash harvest.