While the mere mention of the West Tisbury Farmers Market evokes thoughts of fresh, Island-grown vegetables and fruits, many of us fail to realize that they offer much more. Many merchants sell handcrafted items, gifts, pantry, and baked goods. Every merchant, regardless of their products, keeps within the markets’ premise that “All items be Island-produced agricultural products and food in a spirit of cooperation and mutual support,” according to their website, thewesttisburyfarmersmarket.com.
Walking in between the wooden fence this past Saturday, I was immediately met by Island Alpaca’s burlap sacks of Island Alpaca Beans (fertilizer) along with a tent filled with alpaca fiber items.
Across from them is the large flagged tent announcing egg rolls. If you haven’t tried the menu items at the notorious Papillion, aka the Egg Roll Lady, you haven’t really experienced all the Vineyard has to offer.
Continuing on, you can save a trip to Edgartown by stopping in at Morning Glory Farm’s stand, or satisfy your baby sheepskin blanket needs along with some silky smooth goat milk soap from Flat Point Farm.
Sweet smells then waft to you from Orange Peel Bakery, and the well known Edgartown restaurant Chesca’s has gotten in to the fray with their jarred Dark Chocolate Sauce, Chili Glaze, and Maple Mustard Balsamic Vinegar.
The Cattle Drivers play music while nestled in between 7a Farm and North Tabor Farm. Across the way you can quench your thirst with Little Rock Farm’s Iced Tea (which my mother still can’t figure out what special flavor it is) and get a great snack: homemade granola or a yummy pie.
The next fragrant smell to assail your senses is Andrea Rogers’s tent filled with Island lavender bundles, topiaries constructed with hens and chicks, along with her masterful corn brooms. Vineyard Herbs Apothecary can help soothe, massage, and relax you or a friend with their herbal medicines, salves, oils, and herbal teas.
Nicky’s Italian Café’s Delectable Dipping Oils needs no more description then awesome! Kitchen Porch can make you a hero either at your own table or as a hostess gift with their spreads, jams, mustard, and homemade pitas.
Stannard Farm’s certified organic vegetables and Mermaid Farm’s flowers or local lamb meat will make you feel good when you fill your shopping basket. A family feel is prevalent at The Sherman’s, with items from Ethel’s Kitchen to Ralph’s Garden. Pam’s Provisions Pesto is refreshing and Beetle Bung Farm is amazing.
Seastone Papers offers handmade paper products to wrap your gifts, cards to say thank you, blank books to be used as a journal to remember your visit, and Commonplace Books of Various Verses to raise you up.
Get refreshed with Good Tastes’s juices and salsa, while New Lane Sundries’ offerings from jams to mustards will let you take a piece of the Vineyard home to be enjoyed all year. New Moon Magick’s Enchanted Chocolates can satisfy everyone’s sweet cravings with their turtles and almond butter crunch and provide you with the extra focus to peruse the wide variety of wonderful items at The FARM Institute’s stand. Katama Apiary has the most amazing beeswax candles to brighten your evenings and honey to sweeten your life. The delicate Frosty Hollow Orchids are available at the market, along with the Good Earth’s beach plum jams and raspberry ice beverage.
So head up to the Grange Hall on State Road on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 9 am to 12 noon.
