The Farm
We first sprouted in 2007 and we occupy the very same spot that has served the Island as a farm stand since 1951 when farmer Louis Green started selling fresh local produce, berries, flowers and plants to anyone who stopped by. After thirty years the torch was passed to Donnie Mills, a former Green protégé, who carried on the farming tradition and operated Hillside Farm until 1995. Aside from a few detours, this little spot in scenic North Tisbury has operated as a farm market for over half a century.
When the building became vacant we jumped at the chance to reopen a true farm market and begin the process of farming this beautiful plot of land once more.
Our front porch is a great place to sit and watch the world go by and the building is an unpretentious collection of scrap lumber and assorted bits and pieces that manage to keep us out of the weather. The screen doors creak and sag and swing on rusty hinges and we never seem to have enough space to store all the great things we stock. But, we love it here and wouldn’t have any other way.
Every spring we till the raised beds by hand, lime the soil and bring in plenty of compost and mulch. We grow everything at Fiddlehead Farm without resorting to the use of either chemical fertilizers or toxic pesticides. We believe first, foremost and without compromise that the food we eat should be unadulterated, undiminished and untampered with in any way. The Island farmers and growers that we purchase a portion of our produce from share in these same beliefs.
As we head into our fourth season we plan to continue our important relationships with our Island growers. They include Whippoorwill Farm, Bluebird Farm, Morning Glory Farm, Sue Silva, Bob Daniels, Oscar Thompson, Neil Flynn, Donnie Mills, Kristen Kinser and Kendra Mills. We enjoy working with our local friends and neighbors and want to support them in their efforts by providing a traditional farmstand where they can sell what they produce.
By growing more food right here on Martha’s Vineyard we can help foster the viability of local agriculture and the sustainability of our local economy. It helps create jobs, contributes to the preservation of open land and offers opportunities that strengthen our community. People are steadily becoming more aware of the benefits of eating locally grown, organically raised food and the demand for fresh, good food has increased dramatically. Our goal at Fiddlehead Farm is to meet that demand while helping to preserve the local food traditions and unique flavor of our Island home.
We think this is a good thing.