Island Grown Initiative (IGI), under the leadership of Co-Executive Director Noli Taylor, is making bold strides in strengthening Martha’s Vineyard’s local food system while advancing climate resilience. From promoting regional produce through partners like Myers Produce in schools and hospitals, to launching a new food pantry in October, IGI is working to make healthy, local food more accessible to all. Their aggregation efforts prioritize sourcing from New England farms, while regenerative farming updates help inspire more climate-friendly growing practices across the island.
IGI is also improving food access infrastructure by expanding payment systems at farmers markets to include SNAP, HIP, and Fresh Connect. These tools, alongside ongoing advocacy and participation in the Island Food Equity Network, help ensure that food equity and climate action go hand-in-hand. Whether it’s encouraging residents to grow and store local food or supporting emergency food distribution, IGI’s work is rooted in long-term food security and local collaboration.
Central to this mission is the belief that food resilience requires shared responsibility. That includes growing, sourcing, preparing, and distributing food through a connected network of farmers, institutions, and community partners. IGI continues to call for support—especially in storytelling and documentation—to highlight the power of these efforts and ensure that project momentum continues. Through this work, IGI is not only feeding the island, but also laying the foundation for a healthier, more climate-ready future.
This work directly supports Climate Action Plan (CAP) Food Security 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; and Food Security Goal #2: By 2040 MV has a climate resilient physical and social framework to ensure that all residents have access to appropriate, ample, and nourishing food with dignity.
