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Thirty years of farm-to-family dinner.
Last Thanksgiving, Rebecca Miller, Matthew Dix, and their offspring ― the family who own and run North Tabor Farm in Chilmark ― experienced a textbook case of the cobbler’s children having no shoes. “We had twenty-something people to dinner,” Rebecca says, “and a five-pound turkey.” Matthew, who manages the farm’s livestock operations, generally raises 30 to 35 turkeys each year, and last year, he sold all but the one-legged runt of the bunch, which had to suffice as the family’s Thanksgiving bird.
“Well, we had a chicken, too,” says Matthew’s and Rebecca’s middle child, Ruby Dix, by way of clarification. “And a duck.”
No doubt, the meal also included plentiful helpings of vegetables grown on the farm ― some butternut squash, perhaps, and likely some carrots, collard greens, and turnips. Probably a salad made from their popular baby greens mixture.
Rebecca and Matthew bought North Tabor Farm 31 years ago when the property was up for special sale to a low-to-moderate-income buyer, and their business plan beat out nine others. They had been living in Vineyard Haven, growing as many flowers and vegetables as their third-of-an-acre lot would allow, but they both felt that they’d outgrown their yard. Matthew was working for the Land Bank at the time, and Rebecca was in partnership with Prudy Burt, growing and selling flowers and salad greens. While Matthew was raised on a farm in Vermont and knew a bit about growing vegetables, Rebecca says, “I grew up in suburban Connecticut and didn’t know anything about it. But I wanted to learn.”
At first, they assumed that they wouldn’t be able to afford a farm on Martha’s Vineyard, so they tried looking in southern Vermont and western Massachusetts.
“But nothing felt the same as it felt here,” Rebecca says. “It didn’t have what I call that ‘home’ feeling.” Six-acre North Tabor Farm, with additional acreage nearby for rent or lease, came on the market at precisely the right moment.
Initially, for income and insurance purposes, Matthew kept his day job at the Land Bank. The plan was for him to be full time on the farm after five years, but in the end, it was just two years ago ― nearly 30 years after he and Rebecca moved to the farm ― that Matthew retired from the Island Grown Initiative and became a full-time farmer.
“The thing is, he always worked on the farm,” Rebecca says, noting that he’s the most skilled family member when it comes to maintaining the farm’s machinery. “He just worked two jobs.”
A lot happened during those nearly 30 years. North Tabor Farm became a major Island producer of baby salad greens, growing more than 400 pounds of them a year. For the first fifteen years or so, Rebecca says, “we harvested the salad greens on our hands and knees with scissors. It was inefficient; it took so long.” Eventually, to everyone’s relief, they mechanized the operation.
For the first fifteen years or so, Rebecca says, ‘we harvested the salad greens on our hands and knees with scissors.'
The couple’s three children, Sadie, Ruby, and Joshua, all worked on the farm while growing up, beginning with simple chores like sticking labels on bags of greens. Now, Joshua “helps with the horse-powered stuff,” Rebecca says. “He doesn’t like getting dirty, but fortunately, he knows how to fix things really well.” And Sadie, who never liked farm work as a child, has taken over systems analysis for the operation, creating spreadsheets and other tools to help figure out what’s working, and what’s not. She also maintains the computer and online payment systems at the farmstand, creates the farm’s newsletters, and manages its social media presence. Ruby, who loved farming from the get-go, majored in food studies at Bennington. Now, she’s North Tabor’s Farm Manager, shouldering the responsibility for crop planning, produce production, and management of the crew of extra summertime helpers.
The farm pays attention to environmental and climate concerns. They practice as much low-till farming as possible, and Ruby notes that they closely monitor soil health, making sure that they’re always putting nutrients back into the soil, rather than just taking them out through crop production. Using raked leaves from Island landscapers and horse manure from other local farms, they’ve upped their compost production (which also benefits from the wood shavings and chicken manure from the coops that house Matthew’s more than 350 egg-laying chickens). In addition, their annual, late-season cover crop of peas, oats, daikon radish, and winter rye is designed to restore an array of nutrients to the soil while also increasing organic matter, improving soil structure, and enhancing water absorption. They also engage in regular crop rotation, which is both good for soil health and essential for pest control on a farm that doesn’t use chemical pesticides.
“We use row covering,” Rebecca says, referring to their methodology of covering rows of plants with long strips of porous agricultural fabric. “We basically hide from the insects.”
Two years ago, the farm put in a large solar array that now generates all of the energy the farm needs for refrigeration, lights, and powering electric tools. (They have an electric lawn mower, plus electric weed whackers, hedge trimmers, and hand tools; they also use a hybrid electric vehicle for making deliveries.)
In addition, Ruby says, “farming has a lot of materials associated with it, and a lot of them are made of plastic, so we’re really trying to lower our consumption, to mend and reuse things rather than ordering new, and borrowing tools from other farmers so we’re not buying new stuff that already exists on the Island.”
Until 2020, North Tabor was primarily a wholesale operation, selling salad greens, shiitake mushrooms, and other items mainly to restaurants and grocery stores. They also sold directly to individual consumers at the farmers’ market, and they maintained a small, honor-system, roadside farmstand at the bottom of their driveway on North Road, where passersby could pull over, pick up some beets, carrots, or whatever else might be available, depositing payment into a locked wooden box with a slit on top.
“It was almost an afterthought,” Rebecca says. “We stocked it with whatever we had extra of. Whatever was out there, was out there.”
But when the Covid pandemic hit, Rebecca realized that more was needed.
“I, myself, really struggled with going to the grocery store then,” she says. “It was so stressful. I’d see my friends, and my eyes would well up, because you couldn’t talk to people, and everybody was just so scared. I wanted to have a place where people could feel safe shopping for food, and I told Matthew I thought we needed to build a more permanent farmstand on our property.”
Farming has a lot of materials associated with it, and a lot of them are made of plastic, so we’re really trying to lower our consumption, to mend and reuse things rather than ordering new, and borrowing tools from other farmers so we’re not buying new stuff that already exists on the Island.
– Ruby Dix
So, that spring, the family ordered a 10 x 16-foot building kit from Jamaica Cottage Shop in Vermont, and, with everyone pitching in on construction, they had it up and running by July 4th weekend.
“We put in two doors so people could come in one way and exit the other,” Rebecca says. “People could wait outside while someone else was in there, until it was their turn. It became really popular.” They offered poultry, pork, eggs, and vegetables from the farm, along with other staples like milk and dairy, pasta, and crackers, and the stand became some Islanders’ primary grocery store during the pandemic. Though the original plan was for the stand to be three-season, when fall arrived, customers begged the family not to shut it for the winter. They added some insulation and inside heaters, and the stand became the year-round operation it’s been ever since.
Selling from the stand transformed North Tabor’s entire growing system. The product focus shifted more toward retail sales to individuals, though the farm still sells wholesale to a few, mostly up-Island restaurants and grocery stores. Because farm stand patrons wanted variety, the farm began growing a wider array of vegetables, cutting back the salad greens operation to about half its previous size.
“It was really tough on our soil to grow that quantity of salad greens,” Ruby says, “and we were struggling. Growing more diverse things allowed us to give our fields a rest. Also, we don’t have to spend eight hours a week driving around delivering things.”
Rebecca notes that opening a significant retail operation inside the farm property resulted in a certain loss of privacy, and they had to get electric collars for their dogs to keep them from running out to greet every customer who drove into the seven-space parking area. “We don’t want it to get any bigger,” she says, “but now that it’s established, and we’ve put in refrigeration for our meat [and other items], I figured we should take it to the next level and think about building a kitchen.”
When this family decides to do something big, big things seem to fall into place serendipitously. As soon as they decided to look into creating a commercial kitchen, a friend referred them to some people who’d done something similar in New Hampshire. “They’d started with this little trailer, and then they built their commercial kitchen,” Rebecca says. “So we went to see them, and they said, ‘You can buy the trailer from us if you want; it’s just been sitting there.’ So we went in January of 2022 and picked it up out of the ice and snow and hauled it back here.” Now, hooked up to the septic system and Board-of-Health-approved, the trailer is in its third year of operation, turning out soups, grain bowls, several kinds of pesto, and other items for sale at the farmstand. Rebecca does the cooking in the off-season, but they hire chefs in the summertime.
“We’re working with different chefs to get ideas,” Rebecca says, “but we know that we always want it to stay as close as possible to the essence of our farm food, highlighting the flavors of our vegetables. Because our farm stand is open a lot, people call it ‘the health food 7-11,’ and we want our food to reflect that.” One chef suggested putting pickled farm vegetables in the farmstand’s egg salad, and the result has become a customer favorite. Currently, the team is developing a savory umami spice blend, using the farm’s dried herbs mixed into a base made from their dried shiitakes.
At home, both Rebecca and Ruby like to cook. Rebecca, a self-described health-conscious eater, has been a vegetarian since she was 16.
“I love the authenticity of food that’s lightly cooked,” she says, “and because we grow what we eat, we know what good food can taste like. I feel that food should taste like itself, and like the energy that’s put into it. So, when I cook, it’s simple, rustic.” She adds that her children, who are “foodies,” tend to gravitate toward more complex flavors.
“Because I also eat meat,” Ruby agrees, “the variety is wider for me. I like trying different recipes, and baking, and I love using our wood-fired grill and our wood-fired oven. My favorite flavors come from outdoor cooking.”
Especially when it comes to meat, she says, farm-grown always outshines what can be bought in a grocery store. “Our chicken has a much different taste, because it’s grown so differently than what you’re used to. Which makes it very hard for me to eat anywhere but here.”
‘I love the authenticity of food that’s lightly cooked,' Rebecca says, ‘and because we grow what we eat, we know what good food can taste like. I feel that food should taste like itself, and like the energy that’s put into it.'
Ruby also notes the importance of eating seasonally, because freshly picked produce has the best flavor and the highest nutritional value. “You have to be willing to not have corn until August,” she says, “but then, when you do, it’s way more exciting.”
The recipes below are the result of collaborative cooking by Rebecca and Ruby. “They’re a hybrid of things that we’ve adapted to what works for us,” Ruby says. Because both women love fresh herbs, the recipes have what Rebecca calls “a big, strong, herby flavor.”
Ruby offers permission to make substitutions at will. “Instead of green garlic, you can use scallions. If you don’t like it spicy, leave out the hot peppers. If you make the chicken and you don’t eat dairy, use nutritional yeast.” These recipes, she says, should be considered guidelines on how to make the dishes.
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RECIPE: Egg Salad With Pickles
- Yield: Serves 4
Description
A visiting chef in North Tabor Farm’s kitchen suggested introducing pickles into the farm’s popular egg salad. The result? It’s become even more popular. Any pickles will work, but the farm often substitutes pickled turnips, radishes, and other vegetables for cucumbers, since pickling is a good way to use up excess produce. This recipe also benefits from the addition of fresh farm herbs and alliums.
Ingredients
- 12 hard-boiled eggs
- 2/3 cup chopped pickles (any type of pickled veggie — we use hakurei turnips, radish, or dill pickles)
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise (preferably homemade)
- 2 Tbsps pickle brine (or substitute 2 Tbsps rice wine vinegar)
- 2 tsps Dijon mustard
- 3 Tbsps chopped fresh herbs (dill, parsley, tarragon)
- 2 Tbsps chopped chives or spring onion
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp black pepper
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Peel the hard-boiled eggs and chop them into small pieces.
- Add the chopped eggs to a bowl along with the chopped pickles.
- Whisk together the mayonnaise, pickle brine (or vinegar), mustard, fresh herbs, chives, paprika, and black pepper.
- Gently toss the eggs and pickles in the mixture.
- Add salt to taste.
RECIPE: Green Garlic Soup
- Yield: Serves 4
Description
“I make this soup a lot when I’m sick,” says North Tabor Farm’s Farm Manager, Ruby Dix, “because it’s really good for you.” Green garlic, a relatively new addition to farm stand offerings, is very young garlic harvested when it’s the height of a scallion, and used in its entirety. Incorporating tofu, chicken, rice, and a variety of fresh vegetables and herbs, this soup is a meal unto itself.
Ingredients
- 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 lb spinach
- 1 heaping cup of cooked rice
- 1 cup cooked, shredded chicken (or one block of firm tofu, cubed and seasoned — see note)
- 2 medium cloves garlic
- 2 inches fresh ginger, peeled
- 3 stalks of green garlic (see note)
- 1 cup parsley
- Roughly chopped jalapeños, to taste (optional)
- Salt to taste
- Soy sauce to taste
- Lime juice to taste
- Crispy onions or toasted cashews for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Bring the broth to a boil and add the spinach. Cook until the spinach is wilted. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the spinach to a blender and set aside to cool.
- Add the rice to the broth and reduce to a simmer.
- Add the garlic, ginger, green garlic, parsley, and jalapeños (if using) into the blender with the spinach. Add 1/4 cup water and 1 tsp salt, and blend until smooth.
- Add the chicken or tofu to the broth and rice. Pour in the spinach mixture and stir to combine. Taste, and add salt if needed.
- Serve with a drizzle of soy sauce and a squeeze of lime juice. Top with crispy onions or cashews if you want a bit of crunch.
Notes
We season our tofu cubes with “everything but the bagel” seasoning and roast in the oven for about 20 minutes at 400℉.
Green garlic is young, fresh garlic, picked while the bulb is still very small and hasn’t yet formed cloves. The entirety of the plant is used in this recipe.
RECIPE: Roasted Chicken With Spicy Cilantro Sauce
- Yield: Serves 4
Description
Farm-raised, pasture-grown chickens have a richer, more “chickeny” flavor than those you buy in a grocery store. North Tabor Farm pasture raises all of its chickens, and the birds’ consumption of insects, grass, and weeds is good for their health as well as their flavor. The farm’s meat chickens practically fly out of the freezer: last year, they raised 1,500 and sold them all, so this year they will raise more. The recipe below showcases the flavor of a pasture-raised bird, enhancing it with a green sauce made largely from farm-grown herbs.
Ingredients
The Chicken
- 6 garlic cloves, finely grated or minced
- 3 Tbsps soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp chili paste (Sriracha or sambal)
- 1 Tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1/2‒1 tsp sea salt
- 1 (3 1/2‒4 1/2 pound) chicken, spatchcocked (See note)
- Olive oil, as needed
The Sauce
- 1 cup cilantro, leaves and stems
- 2‒4 jalapeños, seeded and roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup feta cheese (optional, or substitute 1 Tbsp of nutritional yeast)
- 1 garlic clove, peeled
- 1 1/2 Tbsps lime juice
- Small handful of roughly chopped fresh oregano or basil (use a smaller quantity of dried if you do not have fresh)
- Sea salt to taste
- 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp chili paste
- 1/2 tsp honey
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- Lime wedges for garnish
Instructions
- For the marinade: In a large bowl or 8 x 12-inch pan, whisk together the garlic, soy sauce, chili paste, lime juice, chili powder, mustard, cumin, pepper, and salt.
- Add the spatchcocked chicken, turning to coat it all over with marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 12 hours.
- Heat the oven to 450℉. Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat it dry with paper towels. Arrange the chicken skin side up on a rimmed baking sheet, and drizzle it with oil.
- Roast the chicken until the skin is crispy and the meat is cooked through, 35 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the size of the chicken.
- Make the sauce while the chicken is roasting. In a food processor, blend the cilantro, jalapeños, feta, garlic, lime juice, oregano, salt, mustard, chili paste, honey, and cumin until smooth. While the motor is running, drizzle in the olive oil until emulsified. Taste, and adjust seasonings as needed.
- Carve the chicken and serve with the sauce and lime wedges on the side.
Notes
“Spatchcoking” a chicken (or other poultry bird) is the same thing as butterflying it. It involves removing the backbone so the whole bird can lie flat, with the breasts in the center.
