Walking into the Agricultural Hall in West Tisbury alerts all the senses. The smell of wood, the soft light shining in from the windows, and the creaking floorboards all bring you back in time, while somehow still keeping you grounded in the present moment. Although this hall is relatively new (read on), the organization has a storied history.
The Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Society (MVAS) has seen a lot of life. It was founded in 1859. Early members included members of many well-known Island families, like Pease, Luce, Manter, Allen, Norton, Look, Cleveland, Bodfish, Vincent, Whiting, Tilton, and Smith. Leadership of the MVAS secured three acres of land on State Road in West Tisbury, and began planning the society’s first permanent home.
The next step was the construction of the Agricultural Hall — now known as the Grange Hall — to serve as a community hub and exhibition space. It was completed on Oct. 1 of that year. The first fair was held at the newly constructed hall to display local livestock, produce, and crafts.
“The Ag Society founded to get farmers together so they could show off their bounty and share with each other their resources and knowledge of farming,” said Ag Society President Lauren Lynch. “That was the genesis of the first fair. One hundred and sixty-seven years later, we’re still doing the same thing, only better. We’re here to support farmers, whether it’s through education workshops, technical assistance, marketing, or social gatherings. My motto is, ‘Let the farmers farm, and we’ll help them with the rest.’”
Due to growing summer crowds and the dire need for more parking, the Agricultural Society moved to Panhandle Road. In 1994, 42 volunteer “Barnbusters” traveled to Woodsville, N.H., to dismantle and transport an old barn back to the Island for a new life.
“I made some calls around to my contacts and I said, ‘I need the biggest barn that you have ever seen,” Rick Anderson recalled in a 2024 MVAS newsletter. ”This one came up, the Woodsville barn. I think it was 45 by 150, if I recall. It’s very hard to find one that long! I went to an Ag Society meeting with a quick drawing of what you see now, like I did it in an hour.”
Andrew Woodruff added, “I’ll never forget the feeling of coming up over this huge hill and seeing this incredible barn that was perpendicular to the hillside. It jutted out into this incredible valley and was five stories on one end. I thought, “Oh my God, this is it.”
During that cold November, hundreds of Islanders came together to raise the new Agricultural Hall. “About 90 people showed up over the course of the day on a Friday in November, and by Friday evening, the entire frame was up,” according to Woodruff. “On Saturday morning, literally hundreds of people showed up. The really cool thing about it was there were multiple things going on at once, and there was so much talent there, so many builders and skilled craftsmen. We were getting toward lunchtime, and people just started showing up with tons of food and picnic tables. It was so poignant.”
In fact, the bonding experienced by all who contributed inspired the first Barn Raisers Ball, a true community event that has continued ever since, expanding from a dessert-oriented evening to a full-on potluck (still heavy on the sweet stuff).
Today the MVAS supports a successful Island-based agricultural community and much more. It offers a variety of services, education, marketing, and technical support to Island farmers, and hosts educational programs and events to increase community awareness of the importance of local agriculture.
In 2018, it brought back the 4-H club for Island youth, and in 2020 established the Dukes County Farm Bureau, advocating for the needs of Island farmers at the state level. MVAS is also a community hub, holding livestock shows, the Farmers Social, the Farmworkers Social, Dessert potluck and more.
“We offer more than 100 programs a year, including winter and summer series for farmers and farmworkers, spring and fall garden workshops, annual gatherings like the Harvest Festival and Barn Raisers Ball, and monthly meet-ups for beekeepers and backyard growers,” said Lucy Grinnan, program and outreach manager.
Three years ago, at the suggestion of the state Department of Agriculture’s apiary inspectors, MVAS also founded the Island’s beekeeping club. “We meet monthly, and co-own an oxalic acid vaporizer to treat varroa mites,” Grinnan said. “Since the club was founded, our vaporizer has been borrowed more than 100 times; the club has improved the rate of Island hives overwintering, and built a tight-knit community to troubleshoot and offer support to developing beekeepers.”
Grinnan added, “In all that we do, we’re committed to highlighting the abundance and knowledge of Island farmers and gardeners: how much we can do with what we already have. Together, we’re working toward a thriving agricultural community for Island farmers, gardeners, and families for generations to come.”
Be sure not to miss the 2026 Agricultural Society Fair, which runs Thursday, August 13, to Sunday, August 16. Fairgoers can catch livestock shows, arts and crafts and baking entries, carnival rides, games, traditional contests like the skillet toss, local food vendors, and community booths. Daily admission is $15 for adults (13–61), $10 for children (5–12), seniors (62-plus), and veterans, with children 4 and under free. Parking is $10. To learn more about the Agricultural Society, visit marthasvineyardagriculturalsociety.org.
