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USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION
MASSACHUSETTS | MARTHA’S VINEYARD
The Farm Institute LISA VANDERHOOP
By Valentina Valentini
Loving the Land A farming tradition is being revitalized on Martha’s Vineyard
F
ISHERMEN HAVE BEEN A
staple on Martha’s Vineyard for centuries. But over the last decade, the island known for surf, sand and summers full of beachgoers has experienced a bit of a farming boom. “It’s really weird and wonderful,” says Nancy Gardella, executive director of the Martha’s Vineyard Chamber of Commerce. “I think it stems from many young people embracing the concept of knowing where food comes from and knowing that the community, both year-round and seasonal, support(s) local farmers.”
As an island, sustainability is always a top priority, and it’s been enthusiastically promoted with food: produce, poultry, dairy, baking, shellfish and fisheries. On any given Saturday, the island is teeming with people biking or driving from one farm stand to another to gather their favorite items. The West Tisbury Farmers Market is extremely popular, with vendors offering samples galore of old favorites and new products. Here are a few farm and food experiences worth trying on your next visit to the island: Martha’s Vineyard Sea Salt has been hard at work since 2013 reviving a centuries-old island tradition. A decade
