The Agricultural Society fairgrounds were abuzz on Saturday as West Tisbury Farmers’ Market vendors lined up their Toyota trucks and Subarus, knocked the dust off pop-up tents, and laid out folding tables with Island-grown goodies.

A temperate morning welcomed the first market of the season, set up in the open lawn behind the agricultural hall, now the market’s permanent home. The location was made official after a vote by the town’s zoning board of appeals last month.

“We’ve got high hopes for this new venue” said Todd Christie of Chilmark Coffee, who is taking a sabbatical from the market this year. “I haven’t had a Saturday off in quite a while, so it should be nice,” he said, even while working as an organizer on this first Saturday.

His organizer work was worth it, however, for a chance to ring the opening bell.

“I’ve always wanted to do that,” he admitted, as eager shoppers took his cue and flooded in just before 9 a.m.

First in line were Shirly and Brenda Bennet, sisters who have been summer residents of Oak Bluffs for the last 14 years, and market shoppers for nearly as long.

“We come for the chocolate,” said Shirly, who made a beeline with her sister for Salt Rock Chocolate Co. Salt Rock has one of the consistently longest lines at the market.

The left side of the market, edging up along last year’s fair location in the hayfield, centered on prepared food and featured the year’s newest market additions: Goldie’s Rotisserie and Fantzye Bagels food trucks. Goldie’s eponymous chicken joined up with Santosha Farm’s pickled radish for their chicken and rice bowl, topped with a fresh and creamy green tahini sauce.

Collaboration is key for market chefs — one would be hard-pressed to find any prepared food which didn’t take advantage of local ingredients, and especially those from other vendors. Fantzye’s fish bagel, for instance, featured microgreens from the Island Grown Initiative and Bluefish Salad from MV Smokehouse, their next-door vendor.

“If you like bluefish, we’ve got plenty of it” said MV Smokehouse’s captain Nils (Gus) Leaf, who explained that their striper offerings would only be available later on in the summer (farmers aren’t the only ones beholden to the seasons).

Cinnamon Starship Bakery also had a variety of Island sources. The ancient grains used in their Island Rye and Einkorn loaves were grown by Dan Sternbach at Lost and Found Grain, whose flours they hope to sell later in the season, and they used Grey Barn whipped feta on a ciabatta and greens sandwich.

The highlight of the market was the produce, the bounty of this little sandy patch of land in the Atlantic. Strawberries are always a hot commodity in spring, and every stand that stocked them sold out quickly. Early summer turnips, radishes and baby squash were stacked high at North Tabor Farm, almost as high as Morning Glory Farm’s lettuce, mixed greens and zucchini bread, along with a wide selection of herbs.

Beetlebung Farm supplied heartier greens, with a selection of pac choi, kale and chard, while Santosha’s mustard greens and Lacinto kale were joined by tart, full foliaged rhubarb. Grey Barn rounded out the leafy spread with cone-shaped, Carafex cabbage and a veritable nursery of vigorous tomato and pepper plants.

Fire Cat Farm and The Garden Farm joined forces to wow shoppers with dainty watermelon seedlings and towering foxglove flowers. Alongside were lupine flowers of pastel pink and purple at Old Towne Gardens, and peony arrangements of yellow-white, pink (both hot and pale), and dark velvet red at The Good Earth of MV.x

The mood was tied together by guitarist Douglas Brush. He sat in the shady oak grove behind the first vendors, wearing a long, neat beard and a straw cap, providing gentle entertainment with classical and finger-style tunes.

“So they won’t have to put up with my voice,” he explained.

Many more surprises lie in store for shoppers in later in the summer, from the ever shifting lineup of seasonal vegetables from vendors new and old.

Admissions, music, and lovely weather are all free.

Subscribe or become a Friend of the Vineyard Gazette and receive our free newsletters and free and discounted tickets to Gazette events along with our award-winning news and photography.