Crookston and area residents have been asked to participate in the One Vegetable, One Community (OVOC) program this summer and this year’s vegetable is squash. OVOC is a collaboration of Polk County Public Health, Crookston Chamber of
Commerce, Wonderful Life Foods, Tri-Valley Opportunity Council, University of Minnesota Extension, and the Statewide Health Improvement Partnership. OVOC unites our community by encouraging people to plant, grow, cook, and/or share the featured vegetable of the year and to help start conversations about food and how communities support healthy lifestyles. “One Vegetable, One Community is the concept of getting the local community excited about growing, cooking and sharing a vegetable and last year at the Crookston Farmers Market one of the last days we had a community vote and they picked squash this year,” said Kirsten Fagerlund of Polk County Public Health. “Getting around the mindset that we can grow vegetables as part of an edible landscape and so even in our downtown boxes and businesses and even pots that there are ways to grow things. Some vegetables are more of a challenge than others, but there are ways to get around that.”
What you need to know about squash –
– Direct seeding is the preferred method for starting squash. It isn’t too late to start!
– Sow seeds about a half inch deep. For vining types that will be allowed to spread out in the garden, seeds should be sown 2 inches apart. Allow about two or three feet of space on either side of the row for the vines to spread.
– A “hill” of three to four seeds sown close together is another way to plant squash in the garden. Allow five to six feet between hills.
Nutrition –
– One-half cup of raw summer squash with no added salt or seasonings has 10 calories, 0 grams of fat, 1 gram of protein, 1 gram of fiber, 2 grams of carbohydrates.
– Squash is a nutrient-rich food and an excellent source of fiber. ½ cup of cooked mashed squash without salt added has 42 calories, 11 grams of carbohydrates, 4 milligrams of sodium, 3 grams of fiber, 1 gram of protein and 0 grams of fat.
Storage –
– Winter squash should be stored in a cool but not cold place, ideally around 55 degrees, with good air movement.
– If appropriate storage is not available, squash can be cooked and mashed, then frozen.
– Pick summer squash when they reach the size you prefer
You can still pick up squash seeds at the Polk County Public Health office at 816 Marin Avenue, Suite 125 in Crookston; the Crookston Chamber of Commerce office on 2nd Street in downtown Crookston; or Wonderful Life Foods on Main Street in downtown Crookston. “It is definitely not too late to plant summer or winter squash,” said Megan Hruby of the University of Minnesota Extension office in Crookston. “We still have squash seed varieties that we gave out this year and you can still pick them up.”
Fagerlund added that it isn’t necessarily about the produce, but the experience and the growing. “Looking at the flowering plants and teaching kids young and old, how and where our food comes from,” said Fagerlund. “Even if you decided in August to plant something and all you got were some green vines and maybe a couple of blossoms, it would still be worth your families time to take it on because there is power in finding out where your food comes from and the growing process.”
