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Falmouth’s Fame for Strawberries and Turnips

According to Chester A. Crocker, of Marston’s Mills, who was quoted many years ago by Haydn Pearson, writing in a Boston newspaper, Falmouth’s fame not only rested partly on strawberries—a fame that continues still at the few active farms, but also partly on her enormous production of turnips.

Mr. Crocker was asked, “Can you recall the days when quantities of the famous Cape Cod turnips were shipped to Boston?” “I certainly can,” he answered. “From along in the 1890’s to about 1910, boatloads and trainloads of the turnips left the Cape for Boston.” Then a disease killed the business; scientists say it was a lack of borax in the soil. Falmouth, now famous for strawberries, was a great center of turnip growers.

Eastham eventually replaced Falmouth as the turnip capital of the Cape. Eastham also holds a Turnip Festival each year to celebrate their “turnip town” status.

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