Island Grown Initiative (IGI) announced in a press release it will be welcoming back visitors to its farm this summer. IGI’s 40-acre farm is located on 80 Stoney Hill Road in Vineyard Haven, and is home to a 40,000-square-foot greenhouse and a Freight Farm Greenery, which the release states allows the farm to grow crops year-round, hydroponically. According to the release, the farm plans to grow 90,000 pounds of produce, including strawberries, potatoes, okra, and more. To accomplish this, IGI “experiments with new techniques,” such as regenerative farming, “to encourage innovation and education among farmers.”
Much of what is grown on IGI’s farm goes “directly to school cafeterias and to Island Grown’s food equity initiatives,” according to the release. These initiatives help community members in need, such as the summer lunch program, the Island Food Pantry, Island Grown to Go, and the Mobile Market.
The M.V. Food Waste Initiative composting pilot is also located on IGI’s farm, according to the release. Additionally, IGI licenses land to local growers, and Island residents may also lease a Community Garden land plot.
The farm tours will teach regenerative farming techniques and their impact on the soil. The greenhouse can demonstrate hydroponic farming, and the greenery will “highlight how growing vertically allows for larger production in a smaller space.”
For those interested in taking a tour of the farm, visit bit.ly/3zbeipA to schedule an appointment. Tours are led once a week by an IGI team member.
