Upcoming Events
Photo by Gwen Norton
See our events in calendar form here!
NOTE: Free registration forms do not always show up on this page. If you do not see the event registration form, please click “View Event” to visit the full event listing and sign up.
Plywood on Pasture 4-H Fundraiser
Wish you had farm animals of your own? Want grazing cattle without all the cow patties? Support the 4-H herd by renting some one-of-a-kind lawn ornaments!
Here’s how it works:
Fill out the request form below for our plywood calves, handmade by 4-Hers for this project. The cost is $15 per day or $70 per week (7 days). You can request specific dates or wait and be surprised!
Wait for your time in the pasture rotation. Each cow is roughly 4 feet across. All the cattle need is a small “pasture” to graze. No water or hay necessary. Install and removal are provided.
Enjoy gazing at your herd! All funds raised will support Martha’s Vineyard 4-H and the care of our 4-H cattle.
This program is being administered by the Katama Cowpokes 4-H club; please reach out to 4-H leader Carole Soule at carole@soulecoaching.com with any questions or concerns.
Increasing Your Environmental Sustainability and Bottom Line through Regenerative Grazing with Ridge Shinn
Thursday, May 21st from 3–5 PM at the Ag Hall
At this workshop, Ridge Shinn will share regenerative grazing practices that benefit farmers' economic and environmental sustainability, with a special focus on climate adaptation. Topics will include addressing compaction, forage diversity, interseeding, grazing height, stockpiling, winter grazing, and bale grazing. Time for Q and A will follow!
COST: FREE and open to all, registration helpful. Sign up below!
Regenerative Grazing and the Island Meat Economy
Thursday, May 21st from 5:30–7 PM at the Ag Hall
Join us for this panel with Ridge Shinn, the executive director of the Northeast Grass-Fed Beef Initiative, and four island farmers about the past, present, and future of island-raised meat!
Ridge Shinn is the Executive Director of Northeast Grass-Fed Beef Initiative (NGBI). NGBI recently received a Henry P. Kendall Foundation grant to support their collaborative work at Vermont State University in establishing a grass-fed beef supply chain for VTSU cafeterias. NGBI has also submitted a 24-credit Regenerative Grazing curriculum to VTSU. Ridge has been a leader in the shift from feedlot production to raising cattle on a diet of 100% grass and forages. His work has been recognized in Time Magazine, Atlantic Monthly, New York Times, Wine Spectator, and Smithsonian.
Christian Walkis grew up on island and started farming in 2009. He was a founding team member at Slip Away Farm on Chappaquidick. Alongside farming, Christian is an accomplished bread baker with a background in professional production baking. He joined the livestock team at Slough Farm in 2022, becoming Farm Manager in 2024. When he’s not wrangling animals, Christian enjoys taking his children to the beach, playing tabletop games, making pizzas and frying up donuts.
Dan Athearn returned to the Vineyard and Morning Glory Farm after receiving a degree in aquaculture from the University of Maine. He quickly became indispensable on the farm as a skilled machine operator and irrigation specialist. Although he spends many hours in the tractor seat working the soil and tending the crops, Daniel still maintains his presence on the water with recreational fishing, lobstering, gathering and sailing.
Jo Douglas runs two farming enterprises: Fork to Pork and Leaf to Beef. With Fork to Pork, she raises 31 pigs entirely on food scraps collected from restaurants, grocery stores, and other food establishments. And with Leaf to Beef, she raises 10 grass-fed beef cattle on a dozen leased pastures across the island.
When Mitch Allen-Posin came to the Vineyard fifty-one years ago, he was lucky enough to meet Clarissa Allen, who had inherited her family farm in Chilmark. The farm had been in her family since 1762 and together they began Allen Farm Sheep and Wool Company. Researching sheep farming, he learned of a different way of fencing that had originated in New Zealand. This led him to learn the importance of grass-based farming, rotational grazing, compost tea, and how important the microbiome is to grass-based agriculture.
COST: FREE and open to all, registration helpful. Sign up below!
Growing Potatoes, Peppers, and Eggplants with Ethan Buchanan-Valenti
Sunday, May 24th from 1–2:30 PM at Beetlebung Farm
This workshop will start with an overview on GROWING, looking at different methods and practices, with a focus on growing regeneratively. We'll then talk about specifics for growing potatoes, eggplant, and peppers. We'll discuss tips, tricks, and challenges for the field or garden: everything from sowing and growing to harvesting, serving, and storing. An open Q&A will conclude the class.
About Ethan: Ethan is an MV native who has been farming on the island for 21 years. Currently, he is the Farm Operations Manager at Beetlebung Farm. He lives in West Tisbury with his wife Bri, daughter Rilo, two cats, and dog. When not farming he can be found building block barns with Rilo, making dinner for the family, or managing the West Tisbury Farmers Market.
COST: FREE and open to all, from beginner to experienced gardeners. Registration required. Sign up on our website!
Beekeeping Club: Queen Rearing with Tim Colon
Wednesday, June 3rd from 5–6 PM at the Ag Hall
All Island beekeepers and bee enthusiasts are invited to the monthly meeting of the MV Beekeeping Club! We host regular meetings on the first Wednesday of the month to discuss disease prevention, hive maintenance, and more. If you keep hives on the Island or are bee-curious, please join us!
This month will feature a talk on queen rearing by Island Bee Company's Tim Colon!
COST: FREE and open to all, no pre-registration required.
The Giving Garden: Summer Tour, Taste and Take-Home with Roxanne Kapitan
Thursday, June 4th from 4 - 5:30 PM at MV Public Charter School
Learn the basic principles of how a food forest works while tasting a wide variety of edible and medicinal plants! At this workshop, you will have a chance to taste asparagus (and learn how to lacto-ferment it!), lovage, good king henry, sea kale, vining spinach (habitzia), and berries like blackcurrants, champagne currants, and juneberries.
Leave the workshop with a better understanding of the many flavors of a perennial food forest—and the seeds of red orach (mountain spinach) and the tips of currant plants for root-growing and fall planting!
COST: FREE and open to all, registration required. Sign up below!
Farmworker Safety Training
Tuesday, June 9th from 6–8 PM at the Ag Hall
The Northeast Center for Occupational Health and Safety is visiting the island to provide this safety training for island farmworkers. Topics include beginner first aid, food safety, safe lifting/carrying, and heat illness. Please join us!
COST: FREE and open to all current farm employees. Dinner provided, registration helpful. Sign up on our website!
Homegrown Club Meeting
Wednesday, June 10th from 6–7 PM at the Ag Hall
This is our monthly meeting of the Ag Society's new Homegrown Club, a monthly meetup for backyard growers on the island. At each meeting, we'll talk about best practices for your garden in that time of year, share resources, and brainstorm answers to your questions about everything from seed varieties to pests. Please join us!
COST: FREE and open to all. Just show up!
Food Forest Banquet with Cathy Walthers and Roxanne Kapitan
Saturday, June 13th from 10:30 AM–12 PM at The Farm Institute
Enjoy the unique flavors of fruits and vegetables collected from the food forest at the Charter School! Let Cathy Walthers, local five time cookbook author, and Roxanne Kapitan, garden creator, wow your taste buds with delicious nutrient-packed greens, grains, herbal mocktails, and more.
COST: FREE and open to all, registration required. Sign up on the Trustees’ website!
Tomato Pruning Workshop with Lydia Fischer
Sunday, June 14th from 1–2 PM at the Ag Hall
In this workshop, Lydia Fischer of The Garden Farm will demonstrate how to remove tomato suckers to keep the plant healthy and maximize your tomato crop. Learn to prune tomatoes and then try your hand with two plants of your own!
This workshop fee includes two large Sungold tomato plants from The Garden Farm to prune during the workshop and take home.
COST: $20 for Ag Society members, $25 for non-members. Pre-registration required. Sign up below!
Summer Farmworker Social
Tuesday, June 16th from 5:30–8 PM at the Ag Hall
Our annual farmworker social, sponsored by Slough Farm, is a celebration of the summer season and all our farmers! Socialize with farmworkers from other farms and learn a little more about island agriculture. A brief talk by a local farmer will begin at 5:45 and dinner will follow. All food and drinks are provided!
COST: FREE and open to all current farm employees. Food and drinks provided, registration helpful. Sign up below!
Edible Garden Tour with Doug Reece
Thursday, June 18th from 4–5:15 PM
In this garden tour, Doug Reece will discuss his approach to fun, easy gardening in raised beds. After fending off all manner of animals, including crows who love to eat one bite of each tomato and pepper, his garden is partly covered with wire ("I now sleep better at night"). Doug has particular success with snap peas, lettuce, and spinach in spring, and potatoes, broccoli, corn, and sweet peppers in summer. He is especially proud of his now 6-year-old asparagus bed!
COST: FREE for Ag Society members, $10 for non-members. Pre-registration required. Sign up on our website for the address!
NON-MEMBERS, please sign up using this link:
AG SOCIETY MEMBERS, please sign up using the form below:
Pasture Walk at Katama Farm
Tuesday, June 23rd from 6–8 PM at The FARM Institute
Join us for a tour of the pastures at the history Katama Farm, which are grazed by Slough Farm and The FARM Institute! We will also tour the commercial kitchen at The FARM Institute, a Trustees property, and discuss how The FARM Institute approaches farm and garden education.
COST: FREE and open to all current farm employees. Dinner provided, registration helpful. Sign up below!
Farming the Sea
Tuesday, June 30th from 6–8 PM at John T. Hughes Hatchery and Research Station (57 Shirley Avenue, Oak Bluffs, follow road to the end)
Why does the MV Shellfish Group raise millions of baby shellfish each year for island waters? We'll answer this and all of your questions as you explore hatchery systems, look through microscopes, and handle local marine life. For 50 years, MVSG's knowledgeable team of scientists has engaged in habitat restoration, education, and shellfish seed production. See why farming the sea is vital to sustaining our island's culture and environmental well-being!
For more info, please contact nina@mvshellfishgroup.org or visit www.mvshellfishgroup.org.
COST: FREE and open to all current farm employees. Dinner provided, registration appreciated. Sign up below!
Beekeeping Club
Wednesday, July 1st from 5–6 PM at the Ag Hall
All Island beekeepers and bee enthusiasts are invited to the monthly meeting of the MV Beekeeping Club! We host regular meetings on the first Wednesday of the month to discuss disease prevention, hive maintenance, and more. If you keep hives on the Island or are bee-curious, please join us!
COST: FREE and open to all, no pre-registration required.
Pollinator Walk with Matt Pelikan and Mary Sage Napolitan
Sunday, July 5th from 1–3 PM at Island Grown Initiative
Spend your Sunday learning about our local pollinators! We will explore the Island Grown Initiative community garden looking for sweat bees, bumblebees, and other local pollinators (there are over 200 different native species!). Mary Sage will also share her best strategies for pollinator plantings. Leave with a new appreciation for all the small creatures that make all our flowers and fruit possible!
COST: FREE and open to all, registration required.
Regenerative Farm Tour at Island Grown Initiative
Tuesday, July 7th from 6–8 PM at Island Grown Initiative
Join us for a farm tour and talk about regenerative farming at the Island Grown farm! IGI has been trialing and implementing reduced tillage systems to build soil health and increase biodiversity on their 42-acre farm. Learn about IGI's multi-species cover crop and animal grazing rotations and innovative trials planting into living clover mulch. Check out their custom-built implements including a zone tiller and tarp winder, and other essential tools like the roller-crimper, chisel plow, and no-till drill. Bring questions and share your experiences from your farm.
COST: FREE and open to all current farm employees. Dinner provided, registration appreciated.
Homegrown Club
Wednesday, July 8th from 6–7 PM at the Ag Hall
This is our monthly meeting of the Ag Society's new Homegrown Club, a monthly meetup for backyard growers on the island. We meet on the 2nd Wednesday of each month (time varies by season). At each meeting, we'll talk about best practices for your garden in that time of year, share resources, and brainstorm answers to your questions about everything from seed varieties to pests. Please join us!
COST: FREE and open to all. Just show up!
Indigo Dyeing at Native Earth Teaching Farm
Sunday, July 12th from 3–5 PM at Native Earth Teaching Farm
Learn all about indigo dyeing with Rebecca Gilbert of Native Earth Teaching Farm! After a brief tour of her farm with its gardens, goats, and ducks, Rebecca will demonstrate the basics of indigo dyeing. Bring your old, stained, or worn-out clothes to dye blue and bring home!
COST: FREE and open to all current farm employees. Heavy snacks provided, registration appreciated.
Food Forest Tour and Farm-Based Education 101 with Roxanne Kapitan and Island Grown Schools
Tuesday, July 14th from 6–8 PM at MV Public Charter School
Growing perennial foods can be a game changer for farmers. Experience a forest garden in action with Roxanne Kapitanand see firsthand how the interplanting of berries, greens, rooting crops, herbs, and medicinals yield a beneficial community of edible plants.
We will also discuss best practices for agricultural education and how Island Grown Schools use food forests and gardens at each school to educate the next generation!
COST: FREE and open to all current farm employees! Dinner provided, registration preferred.
Fair Move-In Day
Sunday, July 19th from 10 AM–2 PM at the Ag Hall
Help us clean the Hall and install the many cabinets, tables, and displays used during the Fair! After we're done, we'll enjoy lunch together to celebrate the Fair season.
Please bring a drill or shopvac if you have one. Some jobs require heavy lifting, but we have a role for everyone!
COST: FREE and open to all, registration appreciated.
Flower Farming and Arranging 101 at Tea Lane Farm
Tuesday, July 21st from 6–8 PM at Tea Lane Farm
Learn all about flower farming with Krishana Collins of Tea Lane Farm! After a brief tour of the farm, Krishana will demonstrate the basics of flower arranging. Each attendee will then have a chance to pick their own flowers and make a small bouquet to bring home!
COST: FREE and open to all current farm employees. Dinner provided, registration appreciated.
Perennial Cover Crop Q&A with Lincoln Fishman of Momentum Ag
Wednesday, July 22nd from 5:30–7 PM on Zoom
Curious about using perennial cover crops like dutch white clover to increase soil health and suppress weeds? Talk about it with expert Lincoln Fishman of Momentum Ag, who has been working with farms across the country on that very thing!
This will be a casual opportunity to share and troubleshoot together. Please bring all your questions and experiences!
COST: FREE and open to all, registration required.
Edible Garden Tour with Carol Collins and Janet Woodcock
Friday, July 24th from 5–6:15 PM
In this garden tour, Carol and Janet will share their community garden plot, which is grown almost entirely from saved seed. They will share how they balance experimentation and production to build a garden that is "a lot of work but a lot of food and a lot of fun!" While they grow tomatoes, peas, potatoes, and other common vegetables, their favorite crops are slightly off the beaten path: sweet potatoes, kidney beans, and okra.
COST: FREE for Ag Society members, $10 for non-members. Pre-registration required.
NON-MEMBERS please sign up using this link:
AG SOCIETY MEMBERS please sign up using the form below.
Pizza Party and Bonfire at North Tabor Farm
Tuesday, July 28th from 6–8 PM at North Tabor Farm
Celebrate high summer with a pizza party at North Tabor Farm! After a brief farm tour, we will settle down to enjoy a variety of pizzas made in North Tabor's pizza oven with local ingredients.
COST: FREE and open to all current farm employees. Dinner provided, registration appreciated.
Edible Garden Tour with Laura Silber
Friday, July 31st from 9:30–10:45 AM
In this garden tour, gardener and seed saver Laura Silber will show how she balances food production and pollinator gardening. In addition to many heirloom tomatoes, she grows food plant varieties that are not generally available on the island, such as garlic chives, Thai basil, bitter melon, shiso, futsu squash, Korean chiles, tomatillo, ground cherry, yellow and purple pole beans, chocolate mint, and pickling cucumbers. Outside of her garden fence, Laura has converted her lawn to deer-proof perennial pollinator flowers and edible plants.
COST: FREE for Ag Society members, $10 for non-members. Pre-registration required.
NON-MEMBERS please sign up using this link:
AG SOCIETY MEMBERS please sign up using the form below.
Agriculture Book Club: Reaping What She Sows by Nancy Matsumoto
Tuesday, May 19th from 5:30–7 PM at the Ag Hall
Join us for a book club focused on Reaping What She Sows: How Women Are Rebuilding Our Broken Food System by Nancy Matsumoto! We will discuss the major takeaways and how to apply ideas from the book to strengthen our local food system. Books are available at island libraries or for purchase or pre-order at island bookstores.
COST: FREE and open to all, registration helpful. Sign up below!
The Giving Garden: Spring Tour, Taste, and Take-Home with Roxanne Kapitan
Sunday, May 17th from 1–2:30 PM at MV Public Charter School
Visit the food forest at the Charter School to learn about perennial sources of foods and take away seedings and root stock divisions! Learn the fundamental principles of forest gardening inside an established food forest and taste and discuss perennial spring crops like sorrel, salad burnett, sea kale, sweet cecily, red orach (mountain spinach), and perpetual spinach.
Leave the workshop with a better understanding of how food forests grow—and seedlings and root stock from elderberries, juneberries, or jostaberry for your own home gardens!
COST: FREE and open to all, registration required. Sign up below!
4-H Paint Club Art Show
Sunday, May 17th from 11:30 AM–12:30 PM at the Ag Hall
Join us for an art show the art our 4-H Paint Club members made this year! All work was created in workshops with island artists. Refreshments provided.
COST: FREE and open to all, just show up!
Spring Cleanup Day
Saturday, May 16th from 10 AM–1 PM at the Ag Hall
Help us clean up the grounds and barn for the summer season! We'll work until 12:30 or so, then enjoy a meal together to celebrate the spring. All ages are welcome!
COST: FREE! Lunch included, registration helpful. Sign up below!
Chicken Processing Training with Taz Armstrong
Saturday, May 16th from 8:30 AM–3:30 PM at ***LOCATION CHANGE*** North Tabor Farm
If you are interested in finding occasional work this summer processing chickens or interested in using the Mobile Poultry Processing Unit to process your own chickens, please come to this hands-on training led by Taz Armstrong! We will cover the process and essential safety regulations for chicken processing.
This is training for a potential job opportunity: the Mobile Poultry Processing Unit is available to island chicken farmers and these farmers will need to hire skilled labor for the growing season. Portuguese translation will be available at the training.
COST: FREE, lunch included. Register below or by emailing Anna at operations@mvagsoc.org.
Homegrown Club Meeting
Wednesday, May 13th from 6–7 PM at the Ag Hall
This is our monthly meeting of the Ag Society's new Homegrown Club, a monthly meetup for backyard growers on the island. At each meeting, we'll talk about best practices for your garden in that time of year, share resources, and brainstorm answers to your questions about everything from seed varieties to pests. Please join us!
COST: FREE and open to all. Just show up!
Foraging for Farmers
Tuesday, May 12th from 5:30–7:30 PM at Island Grown Initiative
If you've been curious to learn more about the edible plants around you, take a walk around the farm at IGI with Isa and learn to identify and use the spring edible and medicinal plants commonly found on farms. We'll be getting to know a variety of abundant, weedy plants such as dandelion, plantain, chickweed, cleavers, and nettles.
COST: FREE and open to all farm employees. Dinner provided, registration helpful. Sign up below!
Farm/Restaurant Meet and Greet
Monday, May 11th from 5:30–7 PM at the Ag Hall
Join us for our first ever farm/restaurant meet and greet! This event aims to connect restaurants, caterers, and private chefs with island farmers. If you would like to buy or sell more wholesale local food this high season, please attend!
We will be serving a potluck dinner. Bring a dish to share or just yourself!
COST: FREE and open to all farmers and food workers, registration required. Sign up below!
Growing Cucumbers, Melon, and Squash with Ethan Buchanan-Valenti
Saturday, May 9th from 1–2:30 PM at Beetlebung Farm
This workshop will start with an overview on GROWING, looking at different methods and practices, with a focus on growing regeneratively. We'll then talk about specifics for growing cucurbits (cucumbers, summer squash, winter squash, melons, etc.). We'll discuss tips, tricks, and challenges for the field or garden: everything from sowing and growing to harvesting, serving, and storing. An open Q&A will conclude the class.
About Ethan: Ethan is an MV native who has been farming on the island for 21 years. Currently, he is the Farm Operations Manager at Beetlebung Farm. He lives in West Tisbury with his wife Bri, daughter Rilo, two cats, and dog. When not farming he can be found building block barns with Rilo, making dinner for the family, or managing the West Tisbury Farmers Market.
COST: FREE and open to all, from beginner to experienced gardeners. Registration required. Sign up below!
Beekeeping Club
Wednesday, May 6th from 5–6 PM at the Ag Hall
All Island beekeepers and bee enthusiasts are invited to the monthly meeting of the MV Beekeeping Club! We host regular meetings on the first Wednesday of the month to discuss disease prevention, hive maintenance, and more. If you keep hives on the Island or are bee-curious, please join us!
COST: FREE and open to all, no pre-registration required.
Growing Tomatoes with Lydia Fischer
Tuesday, May 5th from 5:30–7 PM at the Ag Hall
In this talk, Lydia Fischer, owner of The Garden Farm, will share everything you need to know to successfully grow tomatoes: place and time to plant, diseases or pests to look out for, benefits of pruning, favorite varieties, trellising suggestions, and more. There will then be time for Q and A!
COST: FREE and open to all, from beginner to experienced gardeners. Registration helpful. Sign up below!
Gardening 101 with Bryanna Allen-Rickstad
Sunday, May 3rd from 1–2:30 PM at the West Tisbury Library
Bryanna Allen-Rickstad will lead this workshop on gardening basics, with a focus on container gardens. This class will cover location, light, sourcing equipment and materials, easy crops to grow, best practices for watering, and other considerations for new gardeners.
If you've always wanted to grow your own food but have limited space as a renter or didn't know where to start, this workshop is for you!
This workshop is intended to increase access to gardening for beginner gardeners without permanent garden space. If you are not in these categories, please consider our other programs instead! Attendees will receive seedings, soil, and a pot to start gardening.
COST: FREE, pre-registration required as space is limited. Sign up below!
This workshop is now full. Please email Lucy at programs@mvagsoc.org to be added to our waitlist!
4-H Farm Animal Meet and Greet
Sunday, May 3rd from 10 AM–12 PM at the Ag Hall Animal Barn
Meet island farm animals, from calves to pigs to goats, at our annual fundraiser for Martha's Vineyard 4-H! This event is good for the whole family and all funds raised will support Martha's Vineyard 4-H.
COST: $5 kids, $2 adults. Pay cash or card at the door!
Growing Herbs and Edible Flowers with Rosemary Confalone
Tuesday, April 28th from 5:30–7 PM at the Ag Hall
Come learn about growing your own culinary herbs. Rosemary Confalone will talk about common (and uncommon) kitchen herbs, tips and tricks for starting them from seed, and succession planting for enjoying homegrown herbs all season long. We will also talk about keeping perennial herb plantings healthy, and adding edible flowers to your herb garden.
About Rosemary: Rosemary Confalone is a lifelong backyard grower, and former farmer. She has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Massachusetts in Plant and Soil Science, with a focus in Sustainable Food and Farming.
COST: FREE and open to all, registration helpful. Sign up below!
Create a Food Forest in Your Backyard with Roxanne Kapitan
Sunday, April 26th from 1–2:30 PM at Beetlebung Farm
Forest gardens provide a unique opportunity for backyard growers to incorporate perennial food plants and apply permaculture principles (permanent agriculture) into their gardening methods.
Through this guided demonstration, participants will learn how to account for shade, approach fencing, and minimize soil disturbance while making a food forest. They will learn to interplant fruits, vegetables, herbs, medicinals, and pollinator plants to create a living community of food producing plants!
COST: FREE and open to all, registration required. Sign up below!
Growing Flowers 101 with Dalila Bennett
Tuesday, April 21st from 5:30–7 PM at the Ag Hall
Learn to grow your own bouquets at home with flower farmer Dalila Bennett of Fire Cat Farm! At this workshop, Dalila will share how to grow dahlias, snapdragons, zinnias, dill, cosmos. These are five easy flowers that fit into the five design categories for most bouquets (focal, spike, accent, fill, air). The workshop will focus on growing each flower from seed to harvest and how to maximize yield and succession planting.
We will also discuss (more briefly) other groupings of flowers that would fit into the design categories, perennial flowers, and companion planting. Time for Q&A on all things flowers will follow!
COST: FREE and open to all, registration helpful. Sign up below!
Backyard Compost Workshop with Rosemary Confalone
POSTPONED TO Wednesday, April 15th from 5:30–7 PM at the Ag Hall (previous date: March 24th)
In this workshop, Rosemary Confalone will cover the basics of backyard composting. We will talk about composting systems, which materials to use (or not!), composting ratios, and pest management. This workshop will give you all the tools you need to make your own great compost at home.
About Rosemary: Rosemary Confalone is a lifelong backyard grower, and former farmer. She has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Massachusetts in Plant and Soil Science, with a focus in Sustainable Food and Farming.
COST: FREE and open to all, from beginner to experienced gardeners. Registration appreciated. Sign up below!
Growing Carrots with Ethan Buchanan-Valenti
Sunday, April 12th from 1–2:30 PM at Beetlebung Farm
This workshop will start with an overview on GROWING, looking at different methods and practices, with a focus on growing regeneratively. We'll then talk about carrot specifics and move into a discussion on varieties and types of carrots. We'll discuss tips, tricks, and challenges for the field or garden: everything from sowing and growing to harvesting, serving, and storing. An open Q&A will conclude the class.
About Ethan: Ethan is an MV native who has been farming on the island for 21 years. Currently, he is the Farm Operations Manager at Beetlebung Farm. He lives in West Tisbury with his wife Bri, daughter Rilo, two cats, and dog. When not farming he can be found building block barns with Rilo, making dinner for the family, or managing the West Tisbury Farmers Market.
COST: FREE and open to all, registration required. Sign up below!
Homegrown Club
Wednesday, April 8th from 5–6 PM at the Ag Hall
This is our monthly meeting of the Ag Society's new Homegrown Club, a monthly meetup for backyard growers on the island. At each meeting, we'll talk about best practices for your garden in that time of year, share resources, and brainstorm answers to your questions about everything from seed varieties to pests. Please join us!
COST: FREE and open to all. Just show up!
Women in the Island Food System: A Panel with Nancy Matsumoto
Tuesday, April 7th from 5:30–7 PM at the Ag Hall
Join us for a panel with James Beard Award winner Nancy Matsumoto and local female farmers and food system workers! This panel will feature Alexis Moreis of the Chappaquiddick Wampanoag Tribe, Caroline Pam of Island Grown Initiative, Emma Green-Beach of MV Shellfish Group, and Chef Ting of Black Joy Kitchen.
Nancy Matsumoto is a freelance writer and editor. Her latest book, Reaping What She Sows: How Women Are Rebuilding Our Broken Food Systemtells the story of women at the forefront of food system change. She is also the co-author of the James Beard award-winning Exploring the World of Japanese Craft Sake. Her book By the Shore of Lake Michigan, a translation of a volume of Japanese tanka poetry published by her grandparents, was awarded an American Book Award in 2025. Nancy’s Substack publication “Reaping” continues to tell stories of the people, institutions, and businesses leading ecosystems regeneration.
Alexis Moreis is a Wôpanâak conservationist, raised on Nôepe. She is a Tribal Council Member & THPO for the Wampanoag Tribe of Chappaquiddick. Alexis is a founding member of Pôhshutupuhk8 Midnight Land Collective, a conservation collaborative lead by Aquinnah and Chappaquiddick Wampanoag Island residents. Her work focuses on land rematriation legislation, environmental justice & health equity, and Indigenous sustenance rights. You can find Alexis leading the development of a Chappaquiddick Wampanoag Cultural Center & Pôhshutupuhk8 Farm. Learn more at chappaquiddickwampanoagtribe.org& midnightland.org.
Caroline Pam co-owned and operated Kitchen Garden Farm with her husband in Sunderland, MA. Over 18 years, she grew the business from 1 acre to 65 acres and launched an award-winning line of value-added products, including sriracha, salsa, and dried chilies. After selling the farm to two longtime employees in 2024, Caroline moved to Martha's Vineyard and is now co-executive director of Island Grown Initiative, a nonprofit working to strengthen the island food system through regenerative farming, food access, and farm to school programs.
Emma Green-Beach is the Executive Director & Shellfish Biologist of the Martha’s Vineyard Shellfish Group, Inc. She holds a Master’s degree in Ecology & Evolution from Rutgers University and has nearly 20 years of experience in marine science, shellfish hatchery production, and community-based aquaculture development. She believes deeply in the ability of shellfish to connect people to their environment, food, economy and each other. When Emma is not growing shellfish seed and writing grant proposals, she is knitting, gardening, or wandering down the beach with her family.
Chef Ting cooked for her first dinner party at age 7 when she invited all of her 2nd-grade teachers to dinner (without telling her mother). She grew up in a community rich in food culture and went on to travel to almost every corner of the world, seeking to learn the best-loved dishes from grandmothers in villages far and wide. She is at 68 countries and counting. She brings this food expertise into a fine dining experience, informed by her time spent in diplomatic kitchens, fast-casual concepts, village eateries, ocean-to-table restaurants, vegetarian emporiums, and bespoke food experiences. Chef Ting believes that her best food tells the story of the Black Diaspora and the way that the food of melanated people has influenced food in so many places, starting with African royalty sourcing spices along the Silk Road in 560 B.C. and traveling with enslaved Africans as we moved from the continent to South America, the Caribbean, and then the American South. She is committed to creating food that invigorates the body and the soul. Chef Ting infuses her food journeys with the critical health benefits from her early career in medicine and the innovation and process from her years running a corporate strategy firm. She now pursues her true passion: engaging all the senses of fellow humans by cooking stories that resonate inside of each one of us.
Event is co-sponsored by the Ag Society and Slough Farm.
COST: FREE and open to all, registration helpful. Sign up below!
Mending Night and Clothing Swap with Dalila Bennett
Monday, April 6th from 5:30–7:30 PM at the Ag Hall
Led by Dalila Bennett of Fire Cat Farm. Are your Carhartt's looking a little worse for wear? Are your sweaters full of holes? Bring all your old and worn-down clothes to the Ag Hall and we’ll learn to mend them together! This workshop will include visible mending by hand and needlefelting (for wool items). Materials provided; just bring a few items in need of love!
Since it's our final mending night of the spring, we'll also be hosting a clothing swap! Bring any clothes looking for a new home. We'll bring anything left over to the thrift store or Dumptique after the swap!
COST: FREE and open to all, registration helpful. Sign up below!
Beekeeping Club
Wednesday, April 1st from 5–6 PM at the Ag Hall
All Island beekeepers and bee enthusiasts are invited to the monthly meeting of the MV Beekeeping Club! We host regular meetings on the first Wednesday of the month to discuss disease prevention, hive maintenance, and more. If you keep hives on the Island or are bee-curious, please join us!
COST: FREE and open to all, no pre-registration required.
Growing Salad Greens with Rosemary Confalone
Tuesday, March 31st from 5:30–7 PM at the Ag Hall
Learn how to grow salad greens at home! In this workshop, Rosemary Confalone will cover which types of greens are easiest to grow, how to make your own salad mix, and the basics of succession planting so you can harvest all season long. This is a great workshop for backyard growers who want to save money and take their growing to the next level.
About Rosemary: Rosemary Confalone is a lifelong backyard grower, and former farmer. She has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Massachusetts in Plant and Soil Science, with a focus in Sustainable Food and Farming.
COST: FREE and open to all, from beginner to experienced gardeners. Registration appreciated. Sign up below!
Growing Kale, Cabbage, Broccoli, and Other Brassicas with Ethan Buchanan-Valenti
Sunday, March 29th from 1–2:30 PM at Beetlebung Farm
Gathering at Beetlebung Farm in Chilmark, this workshop will begin with a walk around our regenerative fields and tunnels. We'll discuss growing in general with a focus on growing regeneratively. We'll take a look at different methods, practices, tools and infrastructure we have and use here on the farm. We'll then have a seat and talk about the specifics about brassicas. We'll discuss varieties and types - including cabbage, kale, cauliflower, bok choy, and broccoli. We'll discuss tips, tricks, and challenges for the farm or garden: everything from sowing and growing to harvesting, serving, and storing. Questions are encouraged throughout. Dress warmly!
About Ethan: Ethan is an MV native who has been farming on the island for over twenty years. Currently, he is the Farm Manager at Beetlebung Farm. He lives in West Tisbury with his wife Bri, daughter Rilo, and two cats. When not farming he's most likely playing games with Rilo, making dinner for the family, or managing the West Tisbury Farmers Market.
COST: FREE and open to all, from beginner to experienced gardeners. Registration required. Sign up below!
Island Food Futures: Panel & Workshop on MV Shared Commercial Kitchen
Tuesday, March 24th from 11 AM to 1 PM at the Ag Hall
Are you interested in strengthening our local food system and expanding economic opportunity on Island?
Join community leaders, food producers, and entrepreneurs for a collaborative conversation on the potential of a shared-use commercial kitchen.
This event will feature a panel with Caroline Pam (Island Grown Initiative & Kitchen Garden Farm), Karen Macumber (The Hive & Nantucket Foods), and Linda Davey (Cape Cod Culinary Incubator), moderated by Rose Willett (North Tisbury Market & Whippoorwill Farm). Breakout sessions focused on identifying the infrastructure our Island needs will follow.
COST: FREE and open to all. Interested in attending? Sign up on Eventbrite here!
Pruning Fruit Trees with Ian Jochems
Sunday, March 22nd from 1–2:30 PM at a private residence
Come join the Agricultural Society and Ian Jochems of Polly Hill Arboretum for a fruit tree pruning class! This workshop will include a short lecture/demonstration followed by hands-on experience pruning fruit trees. Please come dressed or prepared for any weather conditions. Tools will be provided; no need to bring your own.
This workshop is now full. Email Lucy Grinnan at programs@mvagsoc.org to be added to the waitlist!
10th Annual Meat Ball
Saturday, March 21st from 5:30–8:30 PM at the Ag Hall
Buy your tickets today for our fundraiser and annual celebration of island-raised meat! Enjoy a buffet dinner prepared by Charlie Granquist of Slough Farm and enjoy a contra dance with live music by the Flying Elbows and Friends. Vegetarian and alpha-gal-friendly options available. Good for the whole family—all ages are welcome.
COST: $40 for Ag Society members (13+), $50 for non-members (13+), $10 for kids ages 5–12, FREE for kids 4 and under.
Online ticket sales have now ended, but we’ll have tickets available at the door (card or cash)!
Organic Pesticides and Downy Mildews with Sue Scheufele of UMass Extension
Thursday, March 19th from 1–3:30 PM at the Ag Hall
In this workshop, Sue Scheufele of UMass Extension will dive deeper into the pest management strategies she covered last year. Dr. Rachel Hestrin from the Stockbridge School of Agriculture at UMass will also be present to answer farmer questions about soil microbiology, nutrient cycling, carbon sequestration, and anything else.
The first part of the workshop will focus on getting the most out of organic pesticides. In this session we will learn some of the key pesticides that organic growers should know and develop an understanding of how they work so that you can make better decisions about when to use which one on which pest. The presentation will focus on vegetable pests but the information is relevant to tree fruits, berries, flowers, and more.
The second part of the workshop will focus on understanding downy mildews. In this session we will talk about downy mildew biology and how we can utilize that to our advantage to get better control by using cultural controls, resistant varieties, and fungicides. The presentation will focus on basil and cucurbit downy mildews but we can tackle other downy mildews during Q&A.
COST: FREE and open to all island farmers and farmworkers. Lunch provided, registration appreciated. Sign up below!
Strawberry School: Getting Strawberries Off to a Strong Start with John Galvan of UMass Extension
Thursday, March 19th from 11 AM–12:30 PM at the Ag Hall
In this session we will cover the key early-season decisions that can help growers prepare strawberry plantings for a productive season. Topics will include winter injury, mulch removal, irrigation and fertility readiness, and early scouting for pests and diseases. We will also talk about wet spring conditions, root and crown health, and how to reduce the risk of problems such as black root rot complex through practical cultural practices and early-season IPM. The presentation will focus on strawberries and will be tailored for Martha’s Vineyard growers. A Q & A will follow.
COST: FREE and open to all island farmers and farmworkers. Lunch provided, registration appreciated. Sign up below!
Homegrown Club
Wednesday, March 18th from 5–6 PM at the Ag Hall
This is our March meeting of the Ag Society's new Homegrown Club, a monthly meetup for backyard growers on the island. At each meeting, we'll talk about best practices for your garden in that time of year, share resources, and brainstorm answers to your questions about everything from seed varieties to pests. Please join us!
COST: FREE and open to all. Just show up!