Nantucket Official Guide | Page 19

Several smaller farms on island also sell
on-site at farm stands. These include Moors
End Farm, the second largest family farm,
as well as Boatyard Farm and Pumpkin Pond
Farm. Both Moors End Farm and Bartlett’s
Farm also offer Community Supported
Agriculture (CSA) opportunities so that you
can reserve your produce packages for
the season.
Want to pick up a few items for dinner?
You can do so downtown at Sustainable
Nantucket’s Farmers & Artisans Market every
Saturday from June through October. In
addition, there is also a Mid-Week ‘Growers
Only’ Market held at a convenient mid-island
location. You can find more information on
these markets and other local food opportunities at: www.sustainablenantucket.org.
[1] Debra McManis, “Taste of Place,” Nantucket
Grown Magazine, 2014, 7.

©Jordi Cabré

is not only depleted in nutrients and flavor,
it is also unreliable. Storms and other events
beyond our control cancel ferries and planes,
resulting in increasingly bare supermarket
shelves, particularly during severe winter
weather. Building a more self-reliant local
food system is therefore critical to fulfilling
our community’s basic needs.
Even in fair weather, we can appreciate the
value of knowing our farmer. We can actually
visit the farms, having confidence that our
food is grown without the use of chemical
fertilizers and pesticides, and that our
fragile ecosystem is being protected through
sustainable agriculture practices.
We can also take pride in the awareness
that our food choices are contributing to a
strong local economy. When neighbors buy
from neighbors, we keep the power of our
dollars within the community. We help each
other’s businesses thrive, as well as support
new entrepreneurism.
One poignant example of this is
restaurant-farm relations. Nantucket has a
vibrant culinary scene, providing a multitude
of high-quality dining options
for residents and visitors alike.
Many restaurant owners have
recognized their customers’
growing interest in local food –
ranging from farm-fresh tomatoes
to Nantucket bay scallops – and
are making special efforts to
include local ingredients on the
menu. Some local chefs invite
local growers to bring their
produce directly to the kitchen
door. Others will partner with
small farmers at the beginning of
the season to arrange for special
ingredients to be grown. These
relationships are forging a vital
link between local farm businesses
and the booming tourist economy.
You can also buy fresh produce
directly from Nantucket farmers.
Bartlett’s Farm, a s