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History of Morning Glory Farm

Morning Glory Farm started in 1975 by James and Deborah Athearn, grows about 50 acres of vegetables and small fruits, here on the island of Martha's Vineyard. Small successive plantings of a wide variety of crops supply the farmstand from May through December.

Crops include sweet corn, lettuce, carrots, beets, tomatoes, melons, potatoes, beans, squash, pumpkins, and more. Our morganiclly-grown herb garden supplies a full assortment of culinary herbs. We also raise 2 acres of cut flowers, and small plantings of strawberries, blueberries, peaches, and beach plums.

We also keep beef cows for whom we harvest 30 acres of hay and we also produce eggs, pork and fresh pastured chickens to sell in the farmstand.

Six acres of our vegetable fields are farmed morganicly (not certified) and we try to manage the rest of our land with a minimum of pesticides and with attention to the long term health of the soil.

Morning Glory Farm was started in 1975 by James and Deborah Athearn on family land on Meshacket road. In the first years they cleared a small vegetable plot and room for a barn and pasture for milking cows. At first the yields of the small plot were sold at the farmhouse in a small shed, and at the Farmers Market in West Tisbury. The farm name grew from the vision of the sun rising over lush, green fields, cows with udders full of milk ambling past bountiful gardens and hedgerows lively with honeybees; true wealth of nature's glory.

Eventualy they out grew the shed and seeking a greater market they moved to the end of Meshacket Road in the lot at Ed Tyra's locker plant in 1979. After several years there Jim and Debbie decided to build thier own farm stand on the site where it is now. The orginal building, built in 1981, was a 18x20 foot post and beam. There have been several additions since then, more greenhouses, an employee residence, the vegetable barn with its two farm kitchens and an equipment maitenance building, among other improvements. The fields and crops grew and flourished, and at the present point we are actively working over nintey acres and hire a staff of up to seventy.

Jim and Debbie raised three children on the farm. Prudence is now a Registered Dietitian working in Boulder Colorado. Prudence has her own nutrition counseling business, Peak to Peak Nutrition. She is married to another dietitian, Josh Levy, and they do plan to move back 'East' in couple of years. Prudence and Josh had their first child, a son Kyle, in June 2007. Prudence had previously worked on the farm for many years. She had become a specicaist in the flower field and was the farmstand manager. Simon, after high school went to culinary school in New Hampshire and then to small business school at the University of Montana. He and his wife Catherine, moved back to the Vineyard in May 2002, Catherine started teaching math at MVRHS and Simon has become Morning Glorys Assistant Farmer to Jim. Daniel has also returned to the Vineyard after recieving a degree in aquaculture from The University of Maine. Daniel quickly became indispensable on the farm as a skilled machine operator, and the irrigation specialist although he spends many hours in the tractor seat working the soil and tending the crops, he still maintains his presence on the water in both commercial and recreational fishing. Meegan Athearn, Daniel's wife, is the cut flower manager. She oversees the cultivation of 2 acres of annual flowers and a half acre perennial field. Dan and Meegan have two children a daughter Clara and a son Zeb.

The farm family is a large one, many Athearn relatives have been part of the farm in different ways for years. And each year we meet a new crew of farmers, bakers, growers, and farmstand staff that become part of the farm family. The farm has benefited from a variety of wonderful people who have endowed Morning Glory with their own special contributuions. With the younger generation involved there is the expectation that the farm will continue to provide quality fruits and vegetables to the community and provide people with meaningful employment and a memorable island experience.

Home • The Farm Stand • The Greenhouse • Meats • Crops and Harvest Dates • Farm Kitchen
Our History • Contact Us • Directions and Hours • Morganic • FAQ • Photo Gallery • Farm Log • Employment Opportunities

Farmstand Hours
Monday - Saturday 9AM to 6 PM
Sunday 10am to 5PM June-October
508-627-9003




	HOME FARM STAND FARM KITCHEN ABOUT FARM LOG EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
	History of Morning Glory Farm Morning Glory Farm started in 1975 by James and Deborah Athearn, grows about 50 acres of vegetables and small fruits, here on the island of Martha's Vineyard. Small successive plantings of a wide variety of crops supply the farmstand from May through December. Crops include sweet corn, lettuce, carrots, beets, tomatoes, melons, potatoes, beans, squash, pumpkins, and more. Our morganiclly-grown herb garden supplies a full assortment of culinary herbs. We also raise 2 acres of cut flowers, and small plantings of strawberries, blueberries, peaches, and beach plums. We also keep beef cows for whom we harvest 30 acres of hay and we also produce eggs, pork and fresh pastured chickens to sell in the farmstand. Six acres of our vegetable fields are farmed morganicly (not certified) and we try to manage the rest of our land with a minimum of pesticides and with attention to the long term health of the soil. Morning Glory Farm was started in 1975 by James and Deborah Athearn on family land on Meshacket road. In the first years they cleared a small vegetable plot and room for a barn and pasture for milking cows. At first the yields of the small plot were sold at the farmhouse in a small shed, and at the Farmers Market in West Tisbury. The farm name grew from the vision of the sun rising over lush, green fields, cows with udders full of milk ambling past bountiful gardens and hedgerows lively with honeybees; true wealth of nature's glory. Eventualy they out grew the shed and seeking a greater market they moved to the end of Meshacket Road in the lot at Ed Tyra's locker plant in 1979. After several years there Jim and Debbie decided to build thier own farm stand on the site where it is now. The orginal building, built in 1981, was a 18x20 foot post and beam. There have been several additions since then, more greenhouses, an employee residence, the vegetable barn with its two farm kitchens and an equipment maitenance building, among other improvements. The fields and crops grew and flourished, and at the present point we are actively working over nintey acres and hire a staff of up to seventy. Jim and Debbie raised three children on the farm. Prudence is now a Registered Dietitian working in Boulder Colorado. Prudence has her own nutrition counseling business, Peak to Peak Nutrition. She is married to another dietitian, Josh Levy, and they do plan to move back 'East' in couple of years. Prudence and Josh had their first child, a son Kyle, in June 2007. Prudence had previously worked on the farm for many years. She had become a specicaist in the flower field and was the farmstand manager. Simon, after high school went to culinary school in New Hampshire and then to small business school at the University of Montana. He and his wife Catherine, moved back to the Vineyard in May 2002, Catherine started teaching math at MVRHS and Simon has become Morning Glorys Assistant Farmer to Jim. Daniel has also returned to the Vineyard after recieving a degree in aquaculture from The University of Maine. Daniel quickly became indispensable on the farm as a skilled machine operator, and the irrigation specialist although he spends many hours in the tractor seat working the soil and tending the crops, he still maintains his presence on the water in both commercial and recreational fishing. Meegan Athearn, Daniel's wife, is the cut flower manager. She oversees the cultivation of 2 acres of annual flowers and a half acre perennial field. Dan and Meegan have two children a daughter Clara and a son Zeb. The farm family is a large one, many Athearn relatives have been part of the farm in different ways for years. And each year we meet a new crew of farmers, bakers, growers, and farmstand staff that become part of the farm family. The farm has benefited from a variety of wonderful people who have endowed Morning Glory with their own special contributuions. With the younger generation involved there is the expectation that the farm will continue to provide quality fruits and vegetables to the community and provide people with meaningful employment and a memorable island experience.

Home • The Farm Stand • The Greenhouse • Meats • Crops and Harvest Dates • Farm Kitchen Our History • Contact Us • Directions and Hours • Morganic • FAQ • Photo Gallery • Farm Log • Employment Opportunities Farmstand Hours Monday - Saturday 9AM to 6 PM Sunday 10am to 5PM June-October 508-627-9003