Contact: Jon Previant 508-627-7007 or 305-582-0399 jon@farminstitute.org

The Farm Institute was notified last week that it has received funding from the USDA’s Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education to support Island farmers who want to experiment with innovative crops or processes.  The Pilot Parcels Project will help Martha’s Vineyard farmers explore new ideas in an area of extremely limited access to land and high production costs.

With only 900 acres of the Island’s 47,000 acres in food production, the demand for locally grown products is strong and expanding. However, there are great challenges to farmers trying to advance Island goals for food self-sufficiency and little room for exploration.  

Pilot Parcel Project will invite farmers from all backgrounds and experience to apply to use one-acre plots at The Farm Institute for either innovative crop production or innovative practices. The project would provide a low-risk environment for answering participant’s enterprise questions, such as: Is it feasible to grow our own hops for beer? Could I raise my own grain for locally grown chickens?  The Farm Institute will ask its own questions about whether successful projects can be expanded through ongoing partnerships. 

An application form will be available on the Farm Institute website by March 1 for interested farmers.  Selection criteria will include the potential of gathering new ideas to share with the farm community, the feasibility of the plan, and the goal of having a mix of farm experience and crops in the project.  The Pilot Parcels Project will provide chosen participants with help with soil preparation, educational events and consultations to support the projects, as well as a small budget for seed, equipment rentals or other supplies.

The Pilot Parcels project is part of NESARE’s Sustainable Community grants program. 

Join Meredith for afternoon chores and special farm projects.  Please call to pre-register.  508-627-7007

Through March 14, 2012  Note: There is no school on 2.20 for President's Day, therefore the after school program will not meet.

Farmers in Training, Fridays, 3:30-5:30, ages 10+.  Fee:  $15

Our longest running program, FIT is a great way to end the week!  Come to The FARM to help with chores, oxen training and working with the animals.  

Through March 16

Sunday Projects, Sundays, 1-2 pm, ages 8+ for adults & children. 

Children ages 10+ may be dropped off without an adult but adults are encouraged to participate.  We will have tea to get you warmed up!  Projects may include:  giving animals new bedding, moving & stacking hay, sweeping barns, mucking stalls, organizing garden sheds and taking down fencing.  Something for the whole family to enjoy!

We always welcome builders, carpenters, and mechanics who wish to share their special skills!

January 29th through March 11, 2012

TFI provides year-round educational programs offering learning experiences in:

      Land preservation & environmental stewardship

      Accepting individual responsibility & meeting commitments

      Team work & cooperation

      Farming (field crops, produce, fruit, hay)

      Nutritional awareness

      Humane livestock management (cattle, poultry, swine, sheep, goats)

      The culture & history of Martha's Vineyard farming

  

Each year the farm raises between 600 and 1000 broiler chickens for meat.  We currently produce Kosher King meat birds, a slow growing, foraging, active bird that grows just a tad slower and has a slightly different taste. Don't let the name fool you, these birds have not been blessed by a Rabbi. They are sometimes referred to as barred silver meat birds to ease confusion. 

All birds are free ranged out on pasture with bottomless, moveable cages called chicken tractors, for shelters.  These tractors are moved every day allowing the birds to forage on fresh grass and bugs, and not have to sit on their own feces.  By the end of the summer you can see bright green trails of happy grass where the chickens have been.

Chickens are processed here at the farm, by us, in our state inspected processing facility. 

We currently stock frozen whole kosher king chickens from May until October. Fresh chickens are available on processing days so please call for details. Frozen chickens are still available!

Cotswold sheep are known for their hardiness. They have dense coats of long, coarse, curly wool and can easily withstand cold, wind, and rain. For those whose memories extend back to pre-polar-fleece days, wool was the fabric that kept you warm when it was wet. Cotswolds can forage for themselves and have a strong mothering instinct, ensuring a high survival rate for their lambs. Our sheep are bred once a year in July and lamb in January.  

Our lamb is 100% grass-fed and mouth-wateringly delicious. Each year we have between 30 and 60 lambs ready for market in the fall.

Each fall will we have a small number of gorgeous, long wooled pelts in white, silver and black. When we have them available, they will be in our " farm products" page.

Cows take on average 18-24 months to reach market weight so at any time we will have between 30 and 45 cows on the farm.

All our cows are completely grass fed- grazing on our lush pastures all summer and fall and eating hay harvested from our fields all winter and spring. Our cows live a stress free life happily frolicking and grazing the way a cow should. 

About the breeds

Galloways: A shaggy- haired, hornless breed from the Galloway region of Scotland. Generally they are gentle and mild mannered and do very well in managed grazing settings and can even excel on low quality forage. Research has shown that the Galloway's thick coat reduces their winter feed needs by 25%. The white and belted galloway are genetically different and considered different breeds. 

American-British White Parks: This breed has a muscular appearance and they rarely have horns. They are traditionally white with black on the ears, nose and eyes, some of ours are overly marked and have large black patches over their bodies. They are recognized for producing USDA choice meat. They are great mothers and easy calvers with calm dispositions. 

 Jerseys: This breed is traditionally for dairy. We have two young Jersey Steers: Zeus and Apollo. They are currently training to become oxen; learning commands and pulling cart loads of food out to other animals. In order to be considered an ox the cow must be male, neutered, trained and at least 4 years old. The Jersey is from the Isle of Jersey off the coast of France. They are a smaller cow known for their doe-eyed faces.

Please click here for a full job description and hiring requirements

Click here for our 2012 Summer Programs Brochure

Click here to register for Summer Programs! 

We always welcome builders, carpenters, and mechanics who wish to share their special skills!

We always welcome builders, carpenters, and mechanics who wish to share their special skills!