I'm not in Western MA (got peeps there though) but I've tried growing in NE OH and had big pest problems. The big pests, from rabbits to deer, I've found are quite effectively deterred by Liquid Fence. This goes for the whole garden, as you mention other plants, and I find this brand far more effective than similar products. It's basically just a putrid-smelling (to them, not detectable by humans) but safe-on-food-crops, organic repellent. The critters think they're smelling something dead, and steer clear of danger. The next problem is the little pests -- Japanese beetles. I have no answer for them. Why I quit trying.
EDIT and hey BrewBama, they do have bear trouble in W MA, maybe that takes care of some of the smaller vermin?