initial content from cushaw project

_includes/caption-image.html

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+<figure class="captioned-image">
+    <img src="{{ site.baseurl }}{{ include.url }}" alt="{{ include.alt }}" class="content-figure-image">
+    <figcaption>{{ include.caption }}</figcaption>
+</figure>

content/cucurbita/argyrosperma/crop-origins.md

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+---
+title: Crop origins
+layout: default
+has_children: false
+nav_order: 2
+---
+
+# Crop origins
+
+![Drying seeds in a colendar just removed from cushaw fruit](../assets/images/recipes/cut-fruit-with-seeds-350w.jpg "Seed saving and sharing is integrated into the guide"){:class="float-right-third"}
+
+Like the other Cucurbita squash, all cushaws are native to the Americas.
+
+This is a text with a footnote[^1].
+
+TODO add crop history
+
+[^1]: And here is the footnote definition.

content/cucurbita/argyrosperma/growing/harvesting.md

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+---
+parent: Growing guide
+title: Harvesting
+layout: default
+has_children: false
+nav_order: 50
+---
+
+# Harvesting
+
+![A young C. argyrosperma cushaw fruit grows on the vine](../../assets/images/growing/immature-argyrosperma-fruit-200w.jpg "Sprawling young cushaw vine"){:class="float-right-third"}
+
+When night temperatures drop below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, cushaw vines may stop producing flowers.
+
+{: .note }
+> C. argyrospemera cushaws are believed to generally be **less sensitive to cold** than C. moschata winter squash. They are generally **more sensitive to cold** than C. ficifolia, C. maxima, or C. pepeo squash.
+
+## When are cushaw fruits mature?
+
+In general, winter squash are ready to harvest for seed saving around 60 days after a fruit is successfully pollinated (this time is sometimes referred to as when the fruit "sets"). Some varieties may continue to mature in terms of culinary quality past that period. If the vine still seems healthy and the peduncle has not dried completely after 60 days, and no frost has been predicted, consider leaving the fruit on the vine longer to continue accumulating nutrients.
+
+One sign that winter squash is done ripening on the vine is that the stem may become brownish and start to dry. In some regions, growers wait until a light frost to harvest because the vine will die back, making it easier to find all the squash. If a hard frost is predicted, it is better to bring in the fruit or cover them overnight with a blanket. Damage from frost can shorten the storage life.
+
+Immature fruit that remains at the end of the season may still be usable like a summer squash.
+
+To harvest, cut the peduncle or stem 1 - 3 inches above the fruit. Do not use the stem as a handle, and leave it attached to the fruit. Stem removal may allow insects or disease to enter the fruit, reducing its storage life.
+
+## Curing and storage
+
+Once cut from the vine, the squash should be 'cured' for long-term storage. This means allowing the fruit to air dry at a warmish temperature (80° F is the ideal), either indoors or outdoors depending on weather conditions, with good ventilation for 5 - 7 days before storing at cooler temperatures (50 - 60° F), again with good ventilation and some humidity. Squash should be turned periodically and inspected for soft spots or mold, and you should eat those starting to spoil first.
+
+It’s also a good idea to eat the smaller fruits before the larger ones as they tend not to store as long.
+
+{: .important }
+>Select for good "winter squash" traits such as good eating quality and long storage by saving seeds from the best-tasting, longest-lasting fruits.

content/cucurbita/argyrosperma/growing/index.md

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+---
+title: Growing guide
+layout: home
+has_children: true
+nav_order: 4
+---
+
+# Cushaw growing guide

content/cucurbita/argyrosperma/growing/location.md

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+---
+parent: Growing guide
+title: Location
+layout: default
+has_children: false
+nav_order: 10
+---
+
+# Location
+
+![A young C. argyrosperma cushaw fruit grows on the vine](../../assets/images/growing/immature-argyrosperma-fruit-200w.jpg "Sprawling young cushaw vine"){:class="float-right-third"}
+
+In general, cushaws will thrive under similar conditions to other squash. In Mexico near the likely origin of Curcubita argyrosperma, various strains of cushaws can be found growing in conditions that vary from intercropping with corn within intensive agricultural systems to feral and wild forms that self-seed.
+
+In cool northern hemisphere climates, an area facing south is often best.
+
+## Possibility of crossing
+
+C. argyrosperma cushaws have been noted in English scientific literature to form interspecific hybrids with other Cucurbita squash. However, these hybrids should be considered unlikely to occur via natural pollination. Among the other squash species which are widely cultivated, Cucurbita moschata is often considered the most likely to hybridize with Cucurbita argyrosperma.

content/cucurbita/argyrosperma/growing/planting.md

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+---
+parent: Growing guide
+title: Planting
+layout: default
+has_children: false
+nav_order: 20
+---
+
+# Planting
+
+## Direct sowing
+
+Squash seeds are easy to direct sow, and this is often the most effective choice assuming either an ample starting supply of seeds or an environment with low pest pressure.
+
+To direct sow, drop individual seeds into a hole or furrow about ½” - 1” deep, cover with soil and press to make good contact. Seeds should be about 6” apart, a distance based on either nature or the gardener removing some plants as they grow to increase the amount of space per individual chilacayote plant.
+
+Once the seeds have been planted, ensure that they are watered, whether by natural sources or by irrigation. With warmth and moisture, the seeds will germinate in a few days. By direct sowing, the tap root of the seedling can establish itself deeply in the soil, and avoid the risk of damage and shock that comes with transplantation.
+
+## Starting cushaws indoors
+
+Some situations call for starting indoors. For example, in short season climates, start seeds indoors 3-4 weeks before the last frost, at least during the first year or two to harvest squash as close to maturity as possible.
+
+When starting the seeds indoors, it can be useful to add some of your native soil to the potting mix so the seeds develop relationships with soil microbes right from the start. [Check out the free Going to Seed course “How Microbes Help Local Adaptation”](https://goingtoseed.org/products/1734455) to learn more.
+
+## When to plant outside
+
+Squash plants are not frost-tolerant, and prefer soil temperatures above 50 F. Note that plants started indoors may need to acclimate to the outdoors before planting in the ground.

content/cucurbita/argyrosperma/growing/seed-saving.md

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+---
+parent: Growing guide
+title: Seed saving
+layout: default
+has_children: false
+nav_order: 60
+---
+
+# Seed saving
+
+## When are seeds mature?
+
+![A young C. argyrosperma cushaw fruit grows on the vine]( {{ '/assets/images/growing/immature-argyrosperma-fruit-200w.jpg' | relative_url }}){:class="float-right-third"}
+
+Individual squash fruits are ready for seed harvesting by 60 days after the fruit is fertilized. Some cushaws continue to improve in taste and nutrition if left on the vine longer.
+
+If frost or other issues force early harvesting, some growers report that seeds continue to develop in storage. A publication from Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners offers minimum recommended timelines for squash fruit and seed maturation: [Harvesting Winter Squash for Flavor and Storage](https://www.mofga.org/resources/crops/harvesting-winter-squash-for-flavor-and-storage/). If your fruit may not have mature seeds yet, consider waiting to process the seeds for a month or two after harvest.
+
+## Selecting for what you love
+
+If this is one of your first seasons growing cushaws, you may only harvest a few fruits.
+
+Some growers refer to this stage of an adaptation gardening project as a "seed increase" phase when the grower might plan to save seed from most fruits harvested, even if some seem better than others. In the first year or two of an adaptation project, it's often best to save seeds from every fruit harvested to maintain as much genetic diversity as possible. In subsequent years with more fruit to choose from, the grower can be more selective.
+
+In the future, with more fruit to choose from, a grower can choose to prioritize saving seeds from the tastiest and earliest fruit, or those plants that are hardiest in their ecosystem, or the plants that have the tastiest or most beautiful foliage.
+
+Regardless of your selection criteria, Going to Seed recommends tasting at least one fruit from any squash plant that you are saving seeds from. Squash flavor can be evaluated either raw, or cooked without butter or seasoning. Winter squash cushaws are often stored for several months before use; how long the fruit can be stored at culinary quality is one of the attributes that is often important when making selections for seed saving.
+
+## Maintaining genetic diversity in an adaptive population
+
+If you are planning to enjoy the cushaw fruit as food, you may not be processing all of your squash at one time. You may instead be processing seeds at several points through the winter as you use the fruit in your kitchen.
+
+If you have a variety of mature fruit to choose from, it's best to not let any single fruit's seeds dominate next season's mix. Consider the total number of seeds you want to save and aim for a proportional mix from different fruits. The best fruit should contribute more seeds, and fruit that only met minimum standards should contribute proportionally fewer seeds.
+
+Bear in mind that some fruit will naturally contain many seeds while others will have fewer, which you can determine only by cutting them open to use. It may turn out that a squash with relatively few seeds has a particularly desirable attribute.
+
+## Processing seeds
+
+Going to Seed has published [a standalone guide to saving squash seeds](https://goingtoseed.org/pages/processing-squash-seeds) which offers two overall options depending on your preferences and circumstances. Both the 'dry' and 'wet' processes can be used with cushaw.
+
+## Dry enough to snap
+
+Regardless of the cleaning method, it's essential that the seeds be very dry before storage. Seeds are dry enough when they snap crisply if bent in half.
+
+Climate, and humidity in particular, is an important consideration for drying seeds. Working Food, in Florida, USA, [reports in their seed drying fact sheet](https://workingfood.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Seed-Drying-Fact-Sheet.pdf) that humidity is their biggest obstacle to seed longevity. In that area, where ambient humidity ranges from 50%-100% depending on the season, seeds never reach Working Food's recommended dryness of 35% or lower via air drying.
+
+Many seed savers use locations near a fan, or on top of the refrigerator, or near a heating or cooling vent, where circulating air helps the drying process. While some guides for seed saving discourage the use of a dehydrator out of concern for accidentally harming the seeds, seed savers like myself in humid climates have found dehydrators generally safe to use.
+
+In Eastern Kentucky, it's relatively easy to dry seeds during the winter when heaters keep the air dry inside. In Spring and Fall, I sometimes use a dehydrator on its minimum setting of 95 degrees Fahrenheit, a setting I have found to be safe for squash seeds. As part of [the report from the ECHO Community seed bank about their humid climate dehydration trials](https://www.echocommunity.org/en/resources/d3595b7a-30c1-40c0-a18d-635c51f2f9ac) in Thailand, they indicate that 100 degrees Fahrenheit or lower is safe for seeds from most crops. 
+
+If you are using a dehydrator to dry seeds for the first time, consider running the dehydrator an hour at a time so you can check the drying progress. In my climate, air-dried seeds typically need about two hours in the dehydrator before going into long-term storage.
+
+## Storing squash seeds
+
+Dry seeds are not completely dormant; they still respire at a very low level, consuming resources stored in their tissue. In addition to risking mold or decay, storage at higher temperature or humidity increases respiration, depleting the seed's reserves and decreasing vigor and viability over time.
+
+Ideally, store dry seeds in a cool, dry space in airtight glass or thick plastic containers, or plastic bags designed for freezer use that are 4 mil or greater in thickness. If rodents, insects and other seed eaters are a problem, glass jars, metal boxes or 5-gallon plastic buckets with tight-fitting lids offer protection.
+
+One tool for humid climates is moisture absorbing desiccant packs, which can be added to long-term storage containers along with the seeds. These packs can be dried out and reused many times. [Another article from ECHO Community describes a low-tech approach for vacuum sealing](https://www.echocommunity.org/en/resources/49954b28-cefb-46f3-9c46-ffd1723c329b), which can be useful in damp regions.
+
+The Garden Professors published a useful article discussing long-term seed storage in more detail: [When Good Seeds Go Bad: How long can you store seeds?](https://gardenprofessors.com/seedstorage/) The grower's climate and storage space will determine the methods that work best. New seed savers should check saved seeds regularly to catch problems early.

content/cucurbita/argyrosperma/growing/selection.md

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+---
+parent: Growing guide
+title: Selection
+layout: default
+has_children: false
+nav_order: 40
+---
+
+# Selection
+
+This section explores ways to identify exceptional plants among the population (a process known as "selection"). In order to understand how selection relates to sexual propagation in squash, this section incorporates concepts related to manual and open pollination.
+
+## What is Selection?
+
+![A young C. argyrosperma cushaw fruit grows on the vine]( {{ '/assets/images/growing/immature-argyrosperma-fruit-200w.jpg' | relative_url }} ){:class="float-right-third"}
+
+In this guide, "selection" refers to actions taken by the gardener to choose which plants should be prioritized, which might be manually "crossed" together in the pursuit of a hybrid, and which plants should be culled or eliminated.
+
+### Selection for an established variety
+
+Whether you are maintaining an existing heirloom variety or a diverse landrace of plants, the work of selection is focused on elimination -- or "roguing" -- plants with undesirable characteristics, while making sure to save ample seed from plants which do exemplify the variety.
+
+### Selection for a new variety
+
+When developing or improving a genetic line, selection might instead be focused on what to include. In this scenario it is most important to identify and prioritize plants that stand out from the rest in positive ways.
+
+## Selecting cushaws
+
+If you are maintaining an existing variety or taking part in a community seed program, there may be certain characteristics that you are hoping to include or exclude from your squash.
+
+These are some cushaw squash traits that the grower can consider during the course of the season:
+
+- Fruit size, shape, and color
+- Seed size, shape, and quanitity
+- How vigorously does it grow
+- How early and prolifically the vine produces fruit
+
+One option is to tie strips of bright cloth or bright-colored survey flagging tape to plants that the gardener has selected or want to monitor. Some gardeners also write directly on the maturing fruit to keep track of individuals with promising characteristics.
+
+## Squash genetics and pollination
+
+{% include caption-image.html url="/assets/images/growing/argyrosperma-male-flower-jl.jpg" alt="A young C. argyrosperma cushaw fruit grows on the vine" caption="This male flower of C. argyrosperma could be collected for manual pollination." %}
+{:class="float-right-third"}
+
+If you have two or more plants which demonstrate exceptional characteristics, you might consider manually cross pollinating them.
+
+Squash plants have separate male and female flowers, and usually both types can be found on healthy adult squash plants. The ‘mother’ flower contributes the unfertilized fruit which develops between the flower and the stem. The ‘father’ flower is attached to the vine by a long stem and appears earlier than female flowers, and can be on the same plant or another plant.
+
+{: .highlight }
+> **What other squash will cushaws cross with?**
+>
+>Cushaws of species C. argyrosperma have been noted in English scientific literature to form hybrids with Cucurbita maxima and Cucurbita pepo. However, these hybrids should be considered very unlikely to occur via natural pollination.
+>Cross pollinations with Cucurbita moschata varieties are more common, but still rare. If you find a cushaw fruit with an unusual shape or other indication of interspecific cross, you are lucky indeed!
+
+Pollen is transferred by insects or humans from male flowers to female flowers in order to start fruit development. Without pollination, the immature fruit will eventually wither and fall off the plant. The seeds are the 'babies' (sometimes called the F1 generation) that develop in the fruit (ovary) of the female plant. Because the seed coat comes from the mother, all the seeds look the same. But inside, each carries a unique combination of its mother’s and father’s genes.
+
+[Sprouted Garden has a useful article about squash pollination](https://sproutedgarden.com/hand-pollinate-squash/), including manual pollination, with side-by-side photos of female and male flowers. Pollination information written for any of the domesticated squash species in the Cucurbita genus can be applied to cushaws.