Over the geezerhood , butternut squash has become a crepuscule and wintertime staple for many farmers . Though this particular winter squash racquets does not necessarily carry the cachet of the autumn pumpkin , farmers have come to appreciate how live butternuts can be — how well they grow , store and keep — providing the sodbuster with possible income well into the winter calendar month if not the bounce .
However , finding enough customers to vindicate growing more of this harvest can be tricky . So today we look at the many way of life in which one can market , monetary value and ultimately move more butternut crush to make the most out of this fantabulous storage crop .
1. Calculate Your Price
You have two option when it comes to pricing butternut squash — by weight and by the social unit . Unfortunately , there is no loose way to recite you which one to use or even how much to price per quid . loosely , thesame rules apply to pricingthese as anything else — see out your output price . How much did the seed cost ? How much proletariat go into it ? What were the storage price ? Are you the only farmer offer it all winter ? All these factors play a use . Right now , the price can depart between 75 cents and $ 2 per pound ( some in heavy markets might charge up more ) , but if that does n’t agree your needs , charge what is appropriate .
2. Inquire at Restaurants
Restaurants typically govern in majority , and some choose declamatory butternut crush with thicker necks . One beautiful thing about working with restaurants is the feedback loop — you learn what they did and did not like about a product , so you’re able to bestow something else or get something that better tally their motivation the following year . If a restaurant , for deterrent example , prefer the more narrow-minded necks for a specific preparation , you could attempt to gear your seed selection around that . Keep in nous that butternut squash are cheap and abundant for restaurants , so verify to evolve a good kinship with your customer in this sector so as to have the respectable shot at becoming their white walnut individual . One last note : extend an item-by-item terms per squash and a buck price per unit to boost them to purchase more .
3. Sell at Farmers Markets
There is a lot of flexibility when it derive to selling squash racquets at the farmers market . Here you could sell them by the Egyptian pound or separately , though I prefer selling them individually because it simplifies the dealings . However , that ’s not always potential or necessarily how to get the best price . In terms of display , we often habituate the overflowing hoop look , with butternut squeeze spilling out . A quite a little works well , too . Whatever you may do to make the crop look abundant .
4. Offer Them in Fall and Winter CSA Shares
One of the good ways to get the most out of butternut squash is to offer them as part of your wintertime or fall CSA shares . Because they store well ( as long as you store them in a comparatively cool , dark place that does not freeze ) you’re able to reasonably rely on get them as a item in the CSA throughout the colder time of year . Add a mates of more storage crop and a couple of fresh greens , and you could go all wintertime .
5. Create Value-Added Products
Soups , purees , baby food and ravioli make some of the good value adds for butternut squash . You could also grow some of the Samuel Wilder ones with curly necks for decoration around the holiday . Of course , any prepared foods will probably have to be made in a commercial kitchen , so be sure to follow your local effectual guidelines .
