Things to Do in Edgartown: Food, Live Music & Farm Life at Morning Glory Farm
Things to Do in Edgartown: Food, Live Music & Farm Life at Morning Glory Farm
When people search for things to do in Edgartown, they often think first about the harbor, beaches, historic streets, shops and restaurants. Those are all part of what makes this corner of Martha's Vineyard special. But there is another side of Edgartown worth experiencing—one rooted in the soil, the seasons, local food and the people who call the Island home.
At Morning Glory Farm, a visit can be as simple as stopping by for fresh vegetables or something from the bakery. It can also turn into an afternoon of local food, flowers, music and a closer look at what agriculture on Martha's Vineyard is all about.
Morning Glory Farm has been growing food on Martha's Vineyard since 1975. Today, the farm continues to bring together agriculture, food and community while giving both Island residents and visitors an opportunity to experience a working farm.
If you're putting together a list of things to do in Edgartown, here are a few reasons to make a farm visit part of your day.
Experience a Working Martha's Vineyard Farm
One of the things that makes visiting Morning Glory different from many other stops around Edgartown is that the farm isn't simply a store with a farm theme.
This is a working Martha's Vineyard farm.
The vegetables, herbs, flowers and other products visitors see throughout the season begin with real work in the fields. Crops have to be planted, cultivated, cared for and harvested at the right time.
More than fifty years of farming has reinforced some straightforward lessons around here: take care of the soil, respect the seasons, harvest at the right time and allow good food to speak for itself.
That philosophy remains part of how Morning Glory approaches farming today.
Visitors can learn more about the history and people behind Morning Glory Farm's story, including how a small vegetable plot developed into the farm that serves the Island today.
For families, food lovers and anyone interested in local agriculture, seeing this side of Martha's Vineyard offers something very different from a typical sightseeing stop.
Stop at the Edgartown Farmstand
If you've ever searched Google for a farmstand near me while visiting Martha's Vineyard, Morning Glory Farm's Edgartown farmstand is exactly the type of place you're probably hoping to find.
The farmstand brings together produce from the fields with food prepared by Morning Glory's bakery and kitchen.
Depending on the season and harvest, a visit can mean colorful vegetables, greens, herbs, fruit, flowers and other locally grown ingredients.
The selection naturally changes because farming changes.
That's part of the experience.
Instead of expecting exactly the same products every week of the year, visitors get to see what the Island's growing season has to offer at that moment.
You can check the Morning Glory Farmstand before your visit for current information about the farmstand, kitchen and bakery.
Morning Glory's website describes the farmstand as a place for sustainably grown produce as well as scratch-baked goods and chef-prepared foods.
Taste Food That Starts in the Fields
One of the most satisfying parts of visiting a farm is seeing the connection between what is growing outside and what eventually reaches the plate.
August provides a perfect example.
When eggplant and basil are coming out of the fields, those ingredients can become dishes such as Morning Glory's Eggplant Rollatini, made with farm-grown eggplant and basil along with a medley of three cheeses.
It is a simple illustration of what seasonal cooking can mean.
Rather than starting with a menu and then looking around the world for ingredients, farm cooking has an opportunity to begin with what is being harvested.
What's ready?
What's especially good right now?
What can the kitchen make with it?
That connection between the field and kitchen is one reason local food can be such a memorable part of visiting Martha's Vineyard.
Morning Glory's kitchen uses farm-fresh ingredients grown close to where the food is prepared, turning the farm's harvest into rotating prepared foods and seasonal dishes.
So if your search for things to do in Edgartown is partly a search for something good to eat, don't overlook the farm.
Enjoy Live Music and Community on the Farm
A farm doesn't have to be only about harvesting vegetables.
Sometimes it can also be a place to gather.
A recent example is Tuesday Bluesday, bringing live blues music to the farmstand front lawn from 4 to 6 PM.
Delanie Pickering and Jeremy Berlin joined the farm for an afternoon of live music while Morning Glory's kitchen team put together a special menu.
The menu included:
- Polynesian pulled pork sandwiches
- Sesame slaw
- Peanut noodles
- Coconut cake
- Lemongrass limeade
- Watermelon slices
It was the kind of event that captures what a community farm can be: food, music, neighbors, visitors and a summer afternoon outdoors.
For someone researching things to do in Martha's Vineyard, events like these can offer a different way to experience the Island.
Instead of simply seeing another attraction, you get an opportunity to spend time somewhere that is part of everyday Island life.
Check Morning Glory's farm events calendar and social channels when planning your visit, since farm activities and seasonal events can change throughout the year.
Find Fresh Food Beyond the Farmstand
Another reason food lovers should put Morning Glory on their list is that the experience isn't limited to vegetables.
Morning Glory's bakery produces scratch-made breads, breakfast items, cookies, pastries and other baked goods. The farm's kitchen also turns seasonal ingredients into prepared foods for visitors who want something ready to enjoy.
For made-to-order options, Morning Glory also operates the MoGlo Food Truck.
That makes a farm visit especially convenient when you're exploring Edgartown and want food without losing the connection to local agriculture.
If you're researching food truck Martha's Vineyard options, you can learn more through the Morning Glory Farmstand and food truck information.
The important part is the connection running through everything: farm, harvest, kitchen and customer.
See What's Growing During Your Visit
Martha's Vineyard looks different throughout the growing season.
That's also true at Morning Glory.
A field that looks one way early in summer can be completely transformed several weeks later. Corn grows tall. Tomatoes ripen. Eggplants develop their deep purple color. Flowers reach their peak. Squash, pumpkins and other crops signal the movement toward fall.
That means visiting a working farm isn't necessarily a one-time experience.
Come back later in the season and something will have changed.
Morning Glory currently cares for hundreds of acres of Vineyard farmland and grows a wide range of vegetables, small fruits and flowers. The farm's mission emphasizes producing food locally while maintaining the land for future generations.
For people interested in sustainable agriculture, this is an important part of the story.
The beautiful vegetables at the farmstand are the visible end result of months—and often years—of work caring for the soil.
Add Flowers to Your Farm Visit
Food may be one of the first reasons people discover Morning Glory, but the farm's flowers deserve their own stop.
Morning Glory grows flowers at its historic family farmstead in West Tisbury, with flowers picked throughout the season.
Depending on availability, visitors may find colorful mixed bouquets and seasonal blooms that reflect what's growing right here on Martha's Vineyard.
There is something different about buying flowers grown close to home.
Like produce, local flowers follow the season. Colors, varieties and combinations change as different flowers reach their peak.
If flowers are part of what brings you to the farm, explore Morning Glory Farm flowers and the farm's seasonal flower offerings.
Discover a Different Side of Edgartown
Many visitors know Edgartown for its classic New England architecture and waterfront setting.
Visiting Morning Glory adds agriculture to that picture.
Farms have been part of Martha's Vineyard for generations, and keeping working farmland productive is an important part of maintaining the Island's character.
Morning Glory began in 1975 when James and Deborah Athearn started farming family land. What began as a small vegetable plot eventually grew into a larger operation serving the Island community.
Today, visitors can see the results of that history every time they walk through the farmstand.
You don't have to be a farmer to appreciate it.
You just have to enjoy good food, fresh flowers, open fields and knowing a little more about where your food came from.
For additional ideas while exploring the Island, the Martha's Vineyard Chamber of Commerce is another useful visitor resource. Martha's Vineyard Chamber of Commerce
Make Morning Glory Part of Your Edgartown Day
There are plenty of things to do in Edgartown, but some of the best experiences are the ones that connect you to the place you're visiting.
A trip to Morning Glory Farm can do exactly that.
Come for fresh vegetables.
Pick up something from the bakery.
See what the kitchen has prepared.
Bring home a bouquet.
Catch a farm event when one is happening.
And take a moment to look beyond the farmstand toward the fields where much of it began.
Whether you're an Island resident making your regular farmstand run or visiting Martha's Vineyard for the first time, Morning Glory offers a chance to experience the agricultural side of Edgartown—and taste some of it too.
Planning a visit? Explore the Morning Glory Farmstand and see what's happening around the farm this season.
