Food Security
The actions in this focus area strive to ensure that all people always have reliable access to – and a sufficient quantity of – affordable, nutritious food that meets their preferences and needs. Actions also focus on increasing locally-produced and regionally-sourced foods.
Page Links
Food Security Updates
Growing a Food Forest at the Charter School
2024 Accomplishments and 2025 Goals!
Martha’s Vineyard Public Food Forest Plan
Ways to Take Action
Challenges
The challenges associated with climate change are vast and varied, and will continue to evolve as climate change progresses. At the time of the Climate Action Plan’s creation, these challenges were at the forefront of the Food Security thematic area.
Considerations
While climate change is a worldwide phenomenon, there are some aspects that are unique to the Martha’s Vineyard community. These considerations guided the detailed goals, objectives, and actions in the Food Security thematic area.
Climate Change Resilience
Climate change is impacting all of us on Martha’s Vineyard. As an island, the ocean serves as a daily reminder of how fragile our existence can be in the face of sea level rise and increasingly powerful storms.
There is a growing movement of community members who want to do something before it’s too late. With the help of the MVC, they are organizing, planning for these changes, and taking action.
Growing Insecurity
Food insecure households are growing on the island, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the island’s deepening affordable housing crisis.
- The Island Food Pantry saw a 103% increase in child visits and an 84% increase in elder visits between 2019 and 2021.
- These numbers are continuing to climb: there was a 40% increase in Pantry visits between February 2021 and February 2022.
Goals and actions will focus on ensuring all people have access to healthy and nourishing foods on a regular basis and during emergencies. Actions also aim to provide our indigenous population with greater access to lands for ceremony and food gathering practices.
Food Security During Emergencies
There is a 2-day supply of food on Island to meet community food needs, putting our food security at risk if we’re cut off from the mainland for prolonged periods of time. Climate change could disrupt our supply chains. To minimize these potential impacts, actions focused on ensuring there is a 2-week supply of food available, improving local food production, and building regional-based product supply chains.
Island Agriculture + Local Food
Part of our work to improve food security will include supporting the existing agricultural operations while encouraging new aquaculture and fishing on the Island. There are already 32 land-based farms and 14 aquaculture farms on the Island that provide our community with fresh, local food.
Check out this interactive map of local farms!
Food Security Goals and Action Plan
Awaiting Resources
In Progress
Complete
Goal 1
By 2040, food grown on the Island is harvested and produced in a way that strengthens biodiversity and makes food more abundant over time, and the majority of food consumed on the Island is grown in the Northeastern US.
Objective 1
By 2026, establish a procurement and distribution system to bring more New England-grown foods to the Vineyard.
Action 1.1
Determine a baseline of food we produce locally and how much of imported food is from Northeastern US producers.
2023
Action 1.2
Develop new relationships with regional growers and distributors.
2024
Action 1.3
Create a centralized hub for New England-grown food to be shipped, stored, and distributed to the Island.
2030
Objective 2
By 2030, all Island farms are implementing a standard slate of climate-friendly farming practices (i.e., till less, utilize cover crops, increased diversity, native plantings, reduce fossil fuel usage, reduce/eliminate synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides).
Action 2.1
Create an Island-wide standard for climate-friendly farming practices.
2024
Action 2.2
Establish a fund within MV Agricultural Society granting program to support farmers’ transition to these determined practices.
2025
Objective 3
By 2027, substantially increase the number of Islanders growing food for themselves and their families.
Action 3.1
Create a formal network of community gardens.
2023
Action 3.2
Formalize support for home growers.
2024
Action 3.3
Establish a training program for aspiring hunters, to reduce the deer/tick populations and increase protein availability.
2027
Action 3.4
Secure and establish perennial food production areas in public spaces in every town.
2028
Objective 4
By 2030, increase aquaculture production by 30%.
Action 4.1
Develop a business plan to analyze potential of building an on-Island shellfish processing facility.
2023
Action 4.2
Conduct an Island-wide analysis to identify shellfish/seaweed site suitability, allowable areas per town, and permitting preparations.
2026
Action 4.3
Build partnerships between technical organizations and local growers to share information on innovative practices.
Ongoing
Objective 5
By 2030, increase local purchasing of locally harvested seafood.
Action 5.1
Establish a labeling and marketing campaign for local seafood in Island markets and restaurants.
2023
Action 5.2
Increase institutional purchasing of local seafood in schools and the MV Hospital.
2025
Objective 6
By 2032, commercial fishing and aquaculture are safeguarded as sustainable livelihood options.
Action 6.1
Work with towns to ensure waterfront space is prioritized, adapted, and preserved to support commercial fishing.
Ongoing
Action 6.2
Develop fishing clubs and/or mentorships to increase interest of the next generation of fishers.
2025
Action 6.3
Increase collaboration of fishers and scientists to improve understanding of projected changes to future fisheries.
2026
Action 6.4
Maintain or expand permits for current species through buyouts and loan program partnerships.
Ongoing
Action 6.5
Develop clear communication channels between fishers and regulators to identify and adapt to changing climate conditions.
Ongoing
Goal 2
By 2040, the Island has a climate resilient physical and social framework to ensure that all residents have access to appropriate, ample, and nourishing food with dignity.
Objective 1
By 2028, there is an Island-wide resilient network of food processing, storage, and distribution centers.
Action 1.1
Determine an accurate count of year-round population.
2023
Action 1.2
Assess the number of food centers needed, logistics, and the types of food needed to stock the centers.
2023
Action 1.3
Identify suitable locations, distribution methods and routes, and design distribution centers to ensure accessibility.
2035
Action 1.4
Build or retrofit existing structures to become distribution centers.
2028
Objective 2
By 2029, there is a consistent 2-3 week supply of food available on-Island for the year-round population throughout the year, which can also be accessed in the event of an emergency.
Action 2.1
Coordinate food equity providers with Emergency Managers, Tribe, and grocers to establish protocols during emergency events.
2023
Action 2.2
Simulate an emergency event to ensure communication is resilient and accessible (multi-lingual, visual, and oral).
2023
Action 2.3
Establish a shared database for tracking inventory flow and guiding assessment and communication.
2024
Action 2.4
Educate the community about the importance of having emergency food supplies and create donation programs for kits.
2025
Objective 3
By 2025, SNAP/HIP & Fresh Connect are accepted at farmers markets and local farm stands to maximize usage for those who are eligible.
Action 3.1
Communicate with WT market managers about getting the equipment and developing a process for use of SNAP/HIP.
2023
Action 3.2
Work with health care providers to roll out Fresh Connect and maximize enrollment.
2023
Action 3.3
Develop messaging and advertise the advantages of enrolling in SNAP/HIP & Fresh Connect.
2023
Objective 4
By 2030, ensure that safe passage is provided to Wampanoag Tribal members for traditional foraging, fishing, and hunting practices on all Island conservation lands forever.
Action 4.1
Coordinate and learn from off-Island examples (e.g., NLC) about how it was done in other locations.
2024
Action 4.2
Build kinship bonds and allies – ceremony, circle time – build real relations/trust.
2026
Action 4.3
Identify best approach and plan for how to partner with land trust organizations.
2026
Action 4.4
Create a mechanism to provide safe passage (e.g., permit/ID).
2028
Action 4.5
Outreach to local police force to ensure an understanding of Indiginous rights.
2029
Objective 5
By 2030, develop partnerships between local farms, individuals, Tribal members and organizations to rematriate traditional seed varieties and increase the availability of traditional Indigenous foods.
Action 5.1
Develop a business plan for sustainability of the program to be used for a grant proposal.
2024
Action 5.2
Identify staff to coordinate activities.
2025
Action 5.3
Coordinate with other tribal programs and farm producers to understand varieties that are climate resilient.
2026
Action 5.4
Identify land (tribal, individual, or existing farms) that can be used for cultivation.
2027
Action 5.5
2028
Action 5.6
Increase institutional purchasing of local seafood in schools and the MV Hospital.
2029
Thematic Working Group Members
Lyndsay Famarris
Alison Custer
Sebastian Hiatt
Jen Randolph
Merrick Carreiro
Steve Bernier
Anne McDonough
Dan Martino
Emma Green-Beach
Eric Glasgow
Shelley Edmundson
Pete Lambos
Carole Vandal
Naji Boustany
Beckie Finn
Leah Palmer
Amira Madison
Meg Athearn
Carla Cuch
NaDaizja Bolling
Tysonnae Aiguier-Bolling
