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There’s plenty to explore (and plenty to eat) — on this island off the coast of Massachusetts.
One of the best ways to get to know Martha’s Vineyard is through its food. Much of this 100-square-mile island is rural, with working farms and active fishing communities shaping daily life. That means plenty of local produce, fresh-caught seafood, and passionate people behind it all — growing it, harvesting it, and connecting others to it. For a small island (but with six distinct towns), there’s a big focus on healthy eating and local food.
Farms and Farmstands
In Chilmark, on the western end of the island is NorthTabor Farm (see our story on it), where Rebecca Miller and Matthew Dix have managed six acres for the last 31 years. Their three kids help out, too. The farm is known for its gourmet greens, heirloom tomatoes, shiitake mushrooms, and fresh eggs from more than 350 pasture-raised chickens. They grow a variety of specialty vegetables as well, with a focus on soil health and climate-friendly, low-till practices. You can visit the farmstand off North Road anytime between dawn and dusk to try the latest harvest. Locals affectionately call it the “health food 7-11.”
You’ll also find North Tabor’s produce at the West Tisbury Farmers Market, held every Wednesday and Saturday at the Agricultural Hall through the summer months (and just Saturdays through October). More than 40 vendors gather here with fresh produce, herbs, flowers, meats, seafood, and prepared foods. It’s a great place to meet growers, sample what’s in season, and experience the island’s tight-knit food scene. Two years ago, the Martha’s Vineyard Fishermen’s Preservation Trust and the Martha’s Vineyard Seafood Collaborative introduced a Community Support Fishery (CSF) program — a new way to buy freshly caught seafood directly from island fishermen. Find their booth at the Farmers Market, too.
With two ferries separating Chappaquiddick from the mainland, Slip Away Farm leans into hyperlocal living. Lily often barters her produce for proteins from neighbors who fish or hunt, creating a small but resilient food-sharing community.
There’s a good chance you’ll also encounter folks from Beetlebung Farm, which recently opened a year-round farmstand next to its six-acre farm off Middle Road in Chilmark. The rustic, homey space sells the latest harvest — and more. There’s a bakery, commercial kitchen, and grain mill on site. On Thursdays throughout the summer, the crew gathers for a cozy farm lunch. Farm manager Kate Woods started the seasonal tradition with her co-manager and partner Nick Doherty, and the two often cook the weekly meals together. Find Beetlebung’s Chimchurri recipe here.
For local cheese and meat, head to the Grey Barn, a 100-acre certified-organic farm in Chilmark owned by Eric and Molly Glasgow. Tucked off South Road, this farm is home to around 50 dual-purpose (milk and beef) cows, dozens of pigs, a bakery, a prize-winning selection of cheeses, and a lush garden. The Grey Barn has been working toward a fully closed-loop system, minimizing waste and repurposing leftovers whenever possible. Protein-rich dairy and food waste from cheesemaking often goes straight to the pigs — who seem pretty thrilled with the arrangement. Stop by the farm store before it closes at the end of the 2025 season.
At Mermaid Farm, also along Middle Road, cows graze peacefully in pastures and produce raw milk, which is sold as is or turned into thick, delicious yogurt. They also make and package drinkable lassis in flavors including coffee, lemon, blueberry, and maple. Feta cheese — a summer favorite — is available year-round, along with blue cheese and occasionally other cheese varieties. (Here’s a recipe for a salad with their feta.) A freezer holds lamb and beef, and one cooler features eggs from other farms and oats grown on-island by Dan Sternbach. It’s an honor-system stand, so bring cash or Venmo — and trust.
Across the island, on Chappaquiddick, you’ll find Slip Away Farm, a flower and vegetable farm run by Lily Walter. The farmstand — located in the original Chappaquiddick Schoolhouse — is open Wednesday through Saturday and offers seasonal vegetables, herbs, and blooms. With two ferries separating it from the mainland, the farm leans into hyperlocal living. Lily often barters her produce for proteins from neighbors who fish or hunt, creating a small but resilient food-sharing community.
Morning Glory Farm, the island’s largest farm, is a local legend. Founded by James and Deborah Athearn in 1975 and now led by their son Simon, the Edgartown-based farm puts about 65 acres into vegetable production in summer and grows winter crops in five greenhouses. The farm store is packed with seasonal produce, fresh-cut flowers, house-made dinners, soups, quiches, pies, bread, and cookies. Make sure you try the farm’s food truck, and their famous corn.
Restaurants and Chefs
In Vineyard Haven, swing by Catboat Coffee Company, tucked into the Tisbury Market Place. This cozy, year-round spot combines specialty beverages, Lebanese sandwiches and dips, artisanal cheeses, and island-made goods. Owner and chef Naji Boustany draws on a global culinary background — from Lebanon to Norway — to create a space that’s as intentional as it is delicious. Catboat was the first island eatery to join the food waste-fighting app Too Good to Go, offering unsold food at a discount. The cafe also composts and recently installed a Mill food recycler to reduce waste even further. (Here’s Naji’s recipe for Asparagus and Chickpea Fatteh.)
In Oak Bluffs, the Pawnee House stands out for its hyperlocal sourcing and vegan options. Chef Deborrah Cohen partners closely with island farms, including Beetlebung Farm, Mermaid Farm, Ghost Island Farm, Morning Glory Farm, MV Sea Salt, Norton Farm, and more. She donates food waste to Jo Douglas’s “Fork to Pork” program, which feeds the pigs Jo raises. It all comes full circle when Jo drops off pork at the end of the season (see Deborrah’s recipe for Italian-Style Porchetta). Deborrah’s fluke fish — made with fish from the fishing vessel Gloria Jean in Menemsha, and greens, radishes, okra, and tomatoes from island farms — is a showcase of what the Vineyard harvest has to offer.
At the Dunes in Edgartown’s Winnetu Oceanside Resort, chef Richard Doucette goes all in on local sourcing — and foraging. The restaurant serves up Katama Bay oysters harvested just a quarter mile from the kitchen and produces its own honey onsite. The resort’s bees even pollinate nearby beach plums, feeding both the ecosystem and menu. (Here’s Richard’s recipe for Salsa Verde Crudo.)
“Up-Island” (how locals refer to the more rural southwestern end of the island), chef Juli Vanderhoop keeps the outdoor wood-fired oven burning around the clock at Orange Peel Bakery, situated on tribal lands in Aquinnah. On pizza nights, it might feel like a locals-only neighborhood party, but all are welcome to hang out by the fire and eat a pie.
Things to Do and Places to Be
Want to try your hand at shellfishing? It’s easy to get a permit as a resident or a visitor — just head to a town hall, fill out a form, and pay a fee. Lagoon Pond in Vineyard Haven and Oak Bluffs is a popular spot for quahogs and bay scallops, and you’ll find oysters, mussels, and steamers at landings across the island. Here’s a map.
In fact, some accommodations support shellfish conservation directly: The Nobnocket Boutique Inn donates its “community impact fee” to the Lagoon Pond Association, which helps preserve the nearly 550-acre tidal pond next door. You can make a reservation here.
The Martha’s Vineyard Shellfish Group also does vital work to protect these fragile marine ecosystems, hosting education programs for kids and families. Tisbury’s Family Shellfish Day, held each June, is a great hands-on opportunity for learning.
For another salty experience, book a Cottage City Oyster Farm Tour in Oak Bluffs. Run by brothers Dan and Greg Martino, the tour offers a firsthand look at their oyster operation — and a raw bar on the water. The Martinos are also pioneering seaweed farming, creating ocean gardens that grow shellfish and sea greens in the same water column. Seaweed, like oysters, require no added nutrients to grow — making this model a promising path toward regenerative aquaculture.
You could also book a fishing charter with Captain Buddy Vanderhoop of Tomahawk Charters. A member of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah), Capt. Buddy is widely known for his deep knowledge of local waters and ability to catch big fish. Fishing runs in his blood; his family’s roots trace back to the island’s whaling era. (According to the charter website, his great-uncle Amos Smalley famously harpooned the only white sperm whale ever taken — said to be the real-life Moby Dick.) Capt. Buddy also has a special reverence for herring, which he calls “bass candy.” Once a dietary staple for the Wampanoag people, herring populations have sharply declined. Today, the tribe is working with local and regional conservation groups to restore their numbers.
The Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Society Fair is held each August, this year August 21 to 24, at the Ag Hall in West Tisbury. It celebrates island farmers with tractor pulls, pig races, skillet tosses, and so, so, so much great food.
Local Books
Dan Martino dives deeper into this sustainable seafood story in his recent release, The Oyster Book. Find it at local bookstores Bunch of Grapes or Edgartown Books (or on Amazon) to learn how oysters have shaped and could help save our coastal ecosystems.
For a broader look at island cuisine, Julia Blanter’s The Martha’s Vineyard Cookbook takes readers across the island’s kitchens, fields, and fishing boats. It’s full of local insight, stunning photos, and recipes that will make you want to book your ferry immediately.
Chef Chris Fischer, who grew up on a 12th-generation island farm, won a James Beard award for The Beetlebung Farm Cookbook: A Year of Cooking on Martha’s Vineyard. The recipes “express the unique understanding of ingredients that comes from a life spent hauling in lobster pots, cultivating vegetables, tracking game in the woods, and butchering his own meat.”
Martha's Vineyard Information:
- Try the Martha’s Vineyard Chamber of Commerce for information.
- Bluedot’s Martha’s Vineyard Magazine is full of stories of eco-minded islanders.
How to Get to Martha's Vineyard:
By Boat
- The Steamship Authority has car ferries running almost hourly (reservations required).
- The Hyline runs boats from Cape Cod, and also inter-island ferries to Nantucket.
- The Island Queen plies the route from East Falmouth on Cape Cod, to Oak Bluffs islandqueen.com.
- The Seastreak has boats from New York and New Jersey.
- From Rhode Island, the Fast Ferry will take you to Oak Bluffs.
By Plane
Check Out These Recipes:
Print
RECIPE: Bay Scallops With a Ginger-Orange Sauce and Asian Greens
- Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients
- 3/4-1 lb bay scallops
- 2-3 bunches baby bok choy, end of bulb sliced off, leaves rinsed
- 1 cup fresh orange juice from 3 juicy oranges
- 4 ginger coins, sliced from peeled fresh ginger
- 2 1/2 Tbsps butter, divided
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Jasmine rice
- Orange slices, sliced for garnish
Instructions
- Remove the tiny side muscle where sand can hide and rinse the scallops. Dry with a paper towel. Set aside.
- In a skillet, sauté the bok choy until wilted, but still crunchy. Set aside.
- Start the sauce by adding the fresh orange juice and ginger coins to a saucepan. Bring to a boil, and then simmer on medium-high for about 6 to 8 minutes to reduce to about 1/2 cup. Remove ginger coins and remove from heat. Add 2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces, and swirl off the heat, stirring with a whisk or wooden spoon until butter is incorporated and sauce is nicely thickened.
- If using 1 pound of scallops, heat two cast-iron or thick-bottom pans over medium-high heat. (Two pans helps the scallops brown nicely.) Add 1/2 tablespoon of butter and the olive oil to coat. Sear scallops on one side, about 2 minutes, until golden. Season with salt and pepper as you are cooking. Turn and sear the other side, 1 to 2 minutes more.
- Rewarm the bok choy and then place in the center of each plate with jasmine rice. Divide scallops onto 4 plates. Spoon the sauce around the scallops. Garnish with a slice from an orange.
RECIPE: Tomato, Pesto, and Mozzarella Salad
- Yield: Serves 4-6 1x
Description
One might think that being a chef at a local farm is a dream job, since you have access to the most gorgeous produce to use in creating delicious meals. But the reality is otherwise. The gorgeous produce — the most perfect tomatoes, the perfect-looking basil — all goes to the farmstand for retail sales. What Chef Augustus Paquet-Whall gets are the seconds — the bruised tomatoes, the basil with black spots, and the rest of the imperfect produce, which he nonetheless magically turns into delicious meals. “Our work is to avoid food waste by turning the not-so-perfect seconds into meals that we sell from the farmstand fridges. From making stocks and soups, to sauces and herb starters, everything is used in the kitchen. And everything that isn’t? It’s either compost or fed to the pigs. Nothing is wasted at Morning Glory Farm, and I’m very proud of our team for that.”
Here’s one of the farm’s popular options.
Ingredients
The pesto
- 6 oz basil
- 1 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese
- 1 garlic clove, diced
- 1 cup toasted, skin-on almonds, roughly chopped
- 1 ice cube
- 2 1/2 tsps kosher salt
The salad
- 2 1/2 lbs fresh tomatoes, roughly chopped (or cherry tomatoes, whole)
- 2 lbs fresh ciliegine mozzarella
- 1 cup freshly prepared pesto
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Make the pesto: Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Set aside in the refrigerator.
- In a large bowl, combine tomatoes and mozzarella. Pour on the pesto and the additional olive oil, and toss until the salad is evenly coated.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
