The Vine - Spring Home and Garden

FREE VINEYARD GAZETTE MEDIA GROUP | SPRING HOME AND GARDEN 2022

Clean and Green A Guide to Climate-Friendly Home Improvements

Young Island Designers • Lennox & Harvey • Chef Gus at MoGlo

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CONTENTS, SPRING HOME AND GARDEN 2022

Departments

Features 13 Clean and Green

4 Editor’s Note

You've got (20) questions about how to make your home and landscape climate friendly.

Island experts have answers.

5 On the Rock Start Your Gardens

BY ELIZABETH BENNETT, SUSIE MIDDLETON, & CHARLENE PINCKNEY-GOLDBERG

10 Q&A Meet the Generals

18 Composting, Uncomplicated If you can remember green + brown, you're ready to start composting.

BY EMILY MEEGAN

6 Vine & Dine Chef Gus Gets It

22 The Oyster Young Designers 26 By the Numbers Time for a Change 30 Insta-Island @dolandurkee

Cover illustration: Chris Burrell From the Editor

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Changing Up

EDITOR Susie Middleton

I

’ve finally worked out a schedule where I drop our kitchen waste off at the Edgartown transfer station on my way into work on Fridays. When I get there, I’m amazed at how the number of black food-waste recycling buckets has multiplied since Island Grown Initiative first started its Islandwide composting program. Considering how difficult it is to change one’s habits, this is heartening.

It is possible!

I bring it up simply because in this issue we’ve tapped a host of experts and Island business people to answer your questions about making climate-friendly changes to your homes and gardens (p. 18). And I want you to feel free to dip in and out of this rich feature, to use it however it helps you most. But don’t get overwhelmed. Sure, if you’re launching into a home-building project or a big landscaping plan, you’ll want to read it all. It’s so much easier to start with energy efficient and sustainable systems from the get-go.

But if you’re like me and just wanting to help the Islandwide effort to adapt to climate change, start with one small thing and go from there. I’m tackling my compost pile (p. 18) next. And then, maybe an induction cooktop?!

Happy spring!

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- Susie Middleton

ART DIRECTOR Jared Maciel CONTRIBUTORS Elizabeth Bennett, Alex Bullen Coutts, Chris Burrell, Ray Ewing, Laura Holmes Haddad, Kevin Hooks, Paula Lyons, Emily Meegan, Charlene Pinckney-Goldberg, Jeanna Shepard PUBLISHER Jane Seagrave BUSINESS MANAGER Sarah Gifford DIRECTOR OF SALES & MARKETING Skip Finley | sales@mvgazette.com SALES TEAM Frederica Carpenter, Amy Kurth, Garrett Burt, Carrie Blair, Alessandra Hagerty AD PRODUCTION Jane McTeigue, Jared Maciel, McKinley Sanders Copyright 2022 by the Vineyard Gazette Media Group. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher.

To subscribe to the Vineyard Gazette, visit vineyardgazettestore.com Vineyard Gazette Media Group P.O. Box 66, 34 So. Summer Street, Edgartown, MA 02539 thevine@mvgazette.com | 508-627-4311

ON THE ROCK

Start Your Gardens For Ukraine If ever there were a year to grow sunflowers, this is it. The sunflower is the national flower of Ukraine; sunflower seeds and oil are major export crops for the country. In solidarity with Ukrainian farmers, many of whom will not be able to plant their seeds this year, gardeners across the U.S. are already planting more sunflowers. Here on the Vineyard, it’s best to wait until the soil is nice and warm (at least 60 to 65 degrees) to direct-sow your seeds.

Direct-sown sunflowers perform better than transplants.

Sow your sunflower seeds in a very sunny spot that you’ll be able to water regularly. Deer are not immune to the charms of sunflowers, so if you choose a spot outside of the fenced vegetable garden, do so at your own risk!

Look for multi-branching varieties if you want a profusion of colorful blooms of varying stem lengths. Strawberry Blonde, Firecracker, Buttercream and

Firecracker are all lovely. Keep in mind that the closer you plant the seeds together, the smaller the blooms will be (which can be nice for flower arranging, but if you want them to reach their full potential, space 18 inches apart).

If you want strong single-stem sunflowers that don’t shed pollen, check out the ProCut series or the Sunrich series.

(Remember that large sunflowers require large vases if you want to cut and display them.) And if you want to win a blue ribbon at the Fair for the tallest sunflower, choose a variety like Burpee’s Mammoth or Territorial Seed Company's Mongolian sunflower.

There are also perennial sunflowers that grow 8 to 10 feet tall in one season and are covered in small yellow blooms.

Polly Hill Arboretum sometimes has helianthus salicifolius (willow leaf sunflower) at their plant sale.

All sunflowers, which are indigenous to North America and were an important crop for indigenous peoples, attract bees and other pollinators (not to mention birds when the seed heads form), which makes them an excellent addition to an eco-friendly Vineyard garden.

TAKE THE TEMP

also like some wind protection or support as babies.)

A soil thermometer for

If you start too early, seeds may rot in wet, cold soil. Or transplants can suffer stress that ultimately affects their productivity, meaning they won't yield as much as healthy plants. So if keeping an eye out for dandelions or blooming shadbush or other natural temperature tips sounds a bit loosey-goosey to you, buy yourself a soil thermometer for $10 or $15 at SBS, Jardin Mahoney, or other Island garden centers. In a pinch, yes, you can stick your insta-read kitchen thermometer in the soil, but you might not want to leave it there.

the win If you live in the village of Edgartown, with a small garden surrounded by a fence that offers wind protection, you could likely plant your bean seeds or your tomato transplants a full week or two ahead of your up-Island friends who live in frost bottoms or on exposed, windswept hills. In other words, the Island is dotted with microclimates.

Never listen to people who say you must plant your peas on St. Patrick’s Day or your tomatoes on Memorial Day. These dates are meaningless – what matters most is your soil temperature, followed (on this Island) by wind protection. When the soil temperature reaches 50 degrees, you’ll likely see dandelions appear in your yard, and you can safely plant cool-weather-loving veggies like radishes, arugula, Japanese turnips, bok choy and lettuce. Tomatoes, eggplants and beans would really appreciate it if you would wait all the way until the soil temperature is between 65 and 70, but certainly not less than 60. (They would

Photos by Susie Middleton

SUNFLOWER POWER

BOOK IT Gardening Naturally Molly Coogan, manager of Bunch of Grapes bookstore in Vineyard Haven, recommends a new gardening book for those of us interested in ecological gardening. Canadian authors Laurie Perron and Sarah Quesnel-Langlois have written Gardening Naturally to provide information and practical advice for growing plants (edibles, flowers, perennials, even indoor plants) without chemicals and with a respect for biodiversity. The emphasis is on easy, ecological solutions that anyone can achieve, even with a small garden.

Hardcover, $28.

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VINE & DINE

Chef Gus Gets It The new culinary face of Morning Glory Farm is a native Islander.

BY LAURA HOLMES HADDAD • PHOTOS BY RAY EWING When Augustus Paquette-Whall left the Island for Chicago in 2011, his goal was clear: to earn his stripes in city kitchens and eventually return to the Vineyard. But Chef Gus, as he’s known, came back with more than culinary technique. His experience transformed his career goal into the desire to create quality food in a fair, equitable working environment.

Gus’ role as executive chef at Morning Glory Farm is the culmination of this goal; his background in fine dining as both a chef and a manager prepared him for a job that includes overseeing a staff of 40 in a production kitchen with a full Page 6 · THE VINE

bakery on a working farm.

Gus’ journey from a dishwasher in an Island restaurant at age 15 to executive sous chef for a major restaurant group included positions at myriad restaurants which featured a range of cuisines.

He started in Chicago with Chef Guiseppe Tentori of the Boka Restaurant Group, focusing on American seafood at GT Fish & Oyster. He then worked with acclaimed Chef Marcus Samuelsson at his Chicago restaurant, learning traditional Swedish cuisine. Gus then joined Chef Cory Morris at Mercat de la Planxa, which specializes in Spanish Catalan cuisine. This experience would

put Gus to the test. It was a fast-paced restaurant environment that was part of a hotel, where the kitchen prepared two to three tasting menus in addition to a full menu five days a week. Gus thrived, moving quickly from line cook to sous chef and then to senior sous chef.

“That was my comfort zone,” Gus said. “You have seven chefs picking apart your dish and there’s a lot of critique, but it only makes you better.”

Gus was exposed to expediting (managing the flow of orders in a kitchen as they come in) as well as the management side of the kitchen; he was promoted at age 22 and was overseeing a union shop. He then joined Chef Jose Garces and Chef Richard Sandoval in opening a 24,000 square-foot food hall called Latinicity, which focused on traditional Spanish flavors as well as Latin American food.

But despite flourishing as a manager and mastering new flavors and

techniques, Gus was unhappy with the long-standing traditional chef work experience: being underpaid and overworked.

“I was traumatized by restaurants,” he said. “I’ve seen how kitchens are run and I vowed to treat people with respect.”

Gus also wanted to help other chefs come up in the industry, something that shaped his career as a young cook just out of high school. “I see kitchens as a tool to help people,” he says. “I needed guidance and the second chef I worked for took in a lot of people and gave them a chance.”

A summer back on the Vineyard in 2013 to take care of his stepfather, which included working as a line cook at State Road Restaurant, would prove to be fortuitous. In early 2017 Gus and his wife decided it was time to settle down on the Vineyard and Gus became chef de cuisine at State Road. He was promoted

VINE & DINE to head chef and remained there until February 2020 when the impact of the pandemic hit home.

“I have asthma and there were so many unknowns at that time, and my wife and I wanted a family,” he said. “We made a life decision that fine dining is not conducive to having kids!”

that complete, Chef Gus wants to balance customer favorites with sharing the flavors he learned from his years in Chicago. He’s also incorporating new flavors from chef de cuisine Doug Williams,

“I have two kids so I understand the time constraints and how hard it is to get fast, quality food made with care and good ingredients,” he said. Gus also points to the bounty available to him from the farm’s 65 acres and the seasonality of the products that plays a vital role in developing and executing recipes.

Gus took time off but a few months later felt the pull back to the kitchen.

With the urging of Mary and Jackson Kenworth (owners of State Road Restaurant), Gus applied for the job at Morning Glory Farm and was hired in March 2021.

It’s a role that seems tailor-made for his experience and professional goals.

“Their mission statement is aligned with mine: sustainability, an equitable work environment, and caring about the environment,” Gus said.

The Morning Glory kitchen is a fulltime operation; the bakers start between 3 and 4 a.m. and the kitchen stoves are turned on not long after. Gus is overseeing the bakery expansion with head baker Teresa Kirkpatrick, who recently started a yeast bread program using flour only from Maine Grains.

Gus’ first culinary challenge was standardizing procedures and recipes. With

who worked in Asian restaurants in New York City and learned authentic techniques. “It’s been an awesome collaboration with Doug,” Gus said, pointing to the new items like Hot & Sour Soup and Szechuan Chicken as examples of Chef Doug’s contributions. The selection of “grab n’ go” items has expanded as well.

But maintaining a work environment based on respect is Gus’ ultimate goal and one that is shared with the entire Athearn family.

“The culture here is amazing and that is very important to me. Simon is the CEO and he has progressive management ideas,” noted Gus.

After years of cooking in fine dining restaurants, Chef Gus finds that his role as executive chef of Morning Glory Farm aligns perfectly with his values and family life.

Mentoring and teaching are at the core of Gus’ management approach, in addition to a kitchen free from screaming and yelling. “Teaching people takes more time but it’s worth it,” he said.

Gus is already looking ahead to the

busy summer season when the farm stand is open seven days a week.

“We’ll have new menu items monthly and more variety of items during the summer months,” he said. With a summer crew of approximately 50 people plus seven to eight managers, Gus and everyone at the farm’s retail operation will be running at full speed. It will take all hands on deck to produce the approximately 1,800 muffins, 800 pies, 300 quarts of soup, and 1,100 containers of tuna and chicken salad Morning Glory typically sells in a single week in August. But quality and flavor are the baseline for everything that comes from the kitchen.

“I have a high bar for food,” Gus said.

Gus remains committed to a work-life balance, taking time to spend with his wife and two children. When they have a chance to grab a bite, you’ll find them at The Fish House, Beach Road, Mo’s Lunch, and Rocco’s Pizza.

Both in and out of the kitchen Gus has one lesson he hopes to pass on: “I want to instill the idea that you can be kind, have good values, and still work hard.”

Laura Holmes Haddad is a freelance writer living in West Tisbury.

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History • Culture • Entertainment

JUNE 17 - JUNE 19, 2022 https://bit.ly/MVJuneteenthJubilee Page 8 · THE VINE

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Kevin Hooks

Q&A / VINEYARD VOICES

Meet the Generals Mark Chung and Eric Coles are the proprietors of the modern-day general store Lennox & Harvey in Vineyard Haven.

STORY BY PAULA LYONS After visiting Martha’s Vineyard for many years, longtime New Yorkers Mark Chung and Eric Coles made the leap to year-round Island living in 2017, carrying with them a dream to open a small business. With their backgrounds in fashion, housewares, retail and photography, their vision for a modern-day general store came to life on Main Street in Vineyard Haven when they opened Lennox & Harvey in the spring of 2018. Named for Eric and Mark’s grandfathers, who were both jazz musicians, Lennox & Harvey is a curated collection of well-designed clothing and home goods with an eye to sustainability and practical beauty.

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Q. What were you both doing before you moved here?

MARK: Before we moved here, we lived in Brooklyn. I was a chef and had a restaurant for about five years. After I closed my business, I worked for a number of housewares and furniture brands, including an Italian company called Kartell, and a company called Alessi. And before we moved here, the bigger brand was Herman Miller, which we sell in the store now.

ERIC: I worked in the music industry first, then fashion and later photography.

Today I still run a photography studio in New York. Bookings are done by email

or phone so I can do that and still be here. But I go back for a couple of weeks each month. I worked in fashion for a long time so the idea of the store when we moved here was that we could meld design and fashion into a general goods store.

We had always wanted to open a store – a menswear store in Manhattan – but there was too much competition and it was too expensive. Then we thought we’d do it a few years later in Brooklyn, but again – too much competition and too expensive.

Q. When did you first come Q. But at last, you opened to the Vineyard?

Lennox & Harvey in 2018.

ERIC: We first rented in the summer of How did the pandemic 1995 and kept coming up here almost every year. We would drop off some years affect the last couple of and then come back with more friends years? and come back on our own.

MARK: We started renting houses in Oak Bluffs and then the last house we rented was off Lambert’s Cove. That’s where we fell in love with being able to walk to the beach.

ERIC: And then we bought our house in 2015. We’re in Oak Bluffs, not far from The Sailing Camp. We started coming up here as late as November and as early as March and we loved it as much as we did in the summer. We thought, “Oh, we could live here.” But we had to figure out a source of income.

ERIC: We were really fortunate because we opened our online business the same day we opened the storefront. We always had a website where you could buy everything. When people couldn’t go into the store, a lot of them wanted to support small businesses like us so they started shopping online.

MARK: We actually started delivering to people all over the Island. They could order online and we would bring it to them! It was kind of fun for us and kept us busy until we were able to open the doors in August of that first Covid year.

Photos by Jeanna Shepard

Q&A / VINEYARD VOICES

Q. How would you describe your store to those who may not know about you?

ERIC: We call it a modern-day general goods store, with essential items for the home, the beach and the body. It harkens back to the old-time general stores where you could get an apron or tools or sweatshirts or soap. We have all those categories but at an elevated level.

MARK: The only thing we don’t sell is food!

ERIC: But we have beautiful things for the garden, great sweaters, an apothecary section with suntan oil, skin-care products.

MARK: You can buy furniture, you can buy a coffee maker, sunglasses, it’s all carefully mixed in.

Q. What would you say have been some of your most popular products?

ERIC: The first thing that comes to mind is dresses. Because this community is very beachy and casual, we thought it would be good to stock very easy, sort of flowy, cool, casual, oversized dresses – great for the beach, great for dinner.

And as it turns out, they have been very popular.

say, “Oh, this is amazing, we love it!” and yet when we put it in the store, nobody cares! So you can’t really say, “Oh I know this will fly off the shelves.” If you say that about anything, that’s what you’ll be left with.

Q. Sustainability has become a big focus here on the Island. Do you have products that fill that bill?

ERIC: We do, actually. Because this is such a global issue, most of the brands we carry are making products in a sustainable way. We have a botanical skin care line called Salt and Stone, and they don’t use any aluminum in their products. The packaging for their deodorant is made of plastic, but of recycled plastic that came out of the ocean.

MARK: They also use renewable energy to manufacture their products. We also carried a line of sweaters in the fall that were all made with recycled cotton and cashmere.

ERIC: That ethos is represented in most of the brands we carry and certainly in us as well.

Q. Are there challenges to doing business here?

MARK: Maybe shipping – that’s a challenge. When we sell furniture, it comes over but it’s a longer process. It costs a little bit more just to get it on the boat.

So that’s one of our challenges – big pieces of furniture.

ERIC: Logistics, yes, is one thing. Another is that we sort of have three different business climates here. When we open the store in May, the May-June customer is different from the July customer, and that customer is different from the August customer. And then the October customer is different as well. So you have to think when buying stuff for the store – which season will this fit in? That isn’t something we necessarily thought about before.

MARK: I love finding new brands, finding things that are interesting and that people love. Over the last four years, we’ve met so many amazing people and I love seeing them come back to the store year after year.

I love the connection that we’ve made.

ERIC: I agree, the people we’ve met. I was involved with the Island Housing Trust for a couple of years. The other thing we both love is design. When a product is really well made and thoughtfully designed, that really gets us excited.

Q. When you're not working, what do you love to do?

MARK: I love going to all the farms.

That’s my favorite thing to do. There are so many great farms here and so much fresh food. And then there’s the seafood!

I love clams, so I go clamming too.

ERIC: I love to swim. I love the ocean so much that I swim from May to November.

When it’s too cold after that to stay in, I will still do a plunge a couple of times a week to invigorate myself. I love it.

Q. And what do you love about this Island?

ERIC: The sense of community here is quite strong. As much as we had our friends in New York city where we spent most of our lives, I never got the sense of community that I get here. And I feel like you can only get it in a place like this.

MARK: Sales of our men’s clothing, like sweatshirts and pants, have grown too.

We seem to have figured that out, so that’s been something that’s gone really well for us in the last year or so. We also sell a lot of blankets and pillows and little gifts, like housewarming and hostess gifts.

MARK: Right. I feel everyone here wanted us to survive and prosper. Everyone we met told other friends, and people heard of us by word of mouth. They wanted to make sure we did well.

Q. What do you think will fly off the shelves this season?

ERIC: It’s so hard to say because often we’ll be looking at something to buy and

Q. What do you love about what you do?

Lennox & Harvey has everything from skin-care products and clothing to coffee makers and sunglasses.

Paula Lyons is a former television consumer journalist living in Vineyard Haven.

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Clean and Green 20

You’ve got questions about how to make your home and landscape more energy efficient and climate-friendly. Island experts have the answers.

BY ELIZABETH BENNETT, SUSIE MIDDLETON, AND CHARLENE PINCKNEY-GOLDBERG ILLUSTRATIONS BY CHRIS BURRELL In an ideal world, we’d tap our ruby slippers together and our homes would be optimized for energy-efficiency, our gardens would be filled with native, drought-resistant plants, and our carbon footprints would have shrunk to half their size. Change doesn’t happen that way, of course. And full-scale overhauls can be daunting. But making small changes, one or two upgrades at a time, can get us moving in the right direction.

Even making a phone call – say to Cape Light Compact for a free home energy

assessment (see p. 17) – can open a window of opportunity.

Next, we have only to turn to our neighbors. On the Vineyard, we have a wealth of knowledgeable professionals and experienced volunteers who can answer our burning questions. Armed with some answers (read on!) and a list of resources (p. 17) we can head right into the Island’s first annual Climate Action Week (May 8-14) with a sense of purpose – or at least some minor plans.

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Building Smarter Q. When designing a new house, what are the two or three most important areas to focus on for energy efficiency?

Q. When painting my house, what are the best practices, environmentally speaking?

should first consider size. Think smaller and compact. The more sufficient and efficient the spaces are, the more is saved in materials and embodied energy, and in future energy demands. Once you have shrunk the building, then build a well-insulated house that uses the sun to help heat the home through passive solar gain.

A well-insulated house would also consider window placement as well as the insulating value of the windows one chooses. – Ben Robinson, chair of the Martha’s Vineyard Commission Climate Action Task Force and MVC commissioner

vorite for many exterior housepainters – as well as homeowners – is acrylic latex paint, which is generally considered to be better for the environment. It works better on today’s composite building materials, and the time it takes to dry is much less than oil-based paint. Using oil-based paint also requires clean up with potentially toxic materials that can end up in waterways and septic systems.

A. Goodbye to the old standard of oilA. Any project looking to be efficient based paint. Today the overwhelming fa-

Q. How important for energy efficiency are the type of windows I choose?

A. What the window frame is made of will impact its performance in the home.

It is critical in New England to use a window that has a thermally broken frame – that is, a frame that does not transmit or conduct the outside temperature to the inside of the house. Glass will also have a huge impact on the performance of a window. A baseline expectation would include the use of double-glazed/insulating glass. We also use triple-glazed/ insulating glass for clients who want a heightened level of comfort in the home.

Also, the operation or style of window can make a big impact on energy efficiency. We build homes much tighter these days than we did in the past. A window that minimizes air infiltration is best in this regard. While we all love a classic double-hung window, they tend to have higher air infiltration rates since they have more moving parts than other window types. Awnings, casements and tilt-turn windows are all single-sash windows that only hinge on one side (like a door) and therefore close more tightly as compared to a double-hung window.

Location of windows is also key. We always look for opportunities for passive solar design where the home will benefit from the right amount of solar gain (or passive shading) over the course of the year. These considerations become the basis of design for the rest of the project, and the location of windows goes hand in hand with the location of rooms. We also look at seasonal changes in the sun’s position, since how we utilize our home changes from season to season based on the sun’s orientation. – Greg Ehrman AIA, partner, Hutker Architects Page 14 · THE VINE

It’s a good idea to be aware that many paints and primers, including acrylic latex, contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can evaporate readily at room temperature [potentially causing you to feel ill]. Examples include some pigments and mildewcides. Choose a paint with zero to low VOCs and do not use exterior paint on interiors. – Rick Convery, owner, Rick Convery Painting

Q. If I’m buying or building a home, what should I consider in terms of flood protection?

A. Think hard before buying a home in or near a flood zone; flooding is only going to increase as the sea rises. New homes and substantially renovated homes in a flood zone have to be raised above the flood elevation. This protects the house; but remember it does not protect your access to and from the house when the roads flood, including in an emergency.

Ideally, homes would be removed from the flood zone to protect public health and safety and to allow the land to absorb and contain the floodwater.

To find out if your house is in a flood zone, check FEMA maps online (msc. fema.gov/portal/home) or at your town hall. Also, your mortgage company will require flood insurance if you're in a flood zone. – Liz Durkee, climate change planner, Martha’s Vineyard Commission

Q. When building, is siting important for energy efficiency?

A. Siting is of utmost importance in planning, for many reasons: views, topography, access, landscape features, existing vegetation and also energy efficiency. Gentle south-facing slopes offer the ideal siting; buildings should use the sun to help offset heating needs through passive solar and to help in creating a block to cold northern winds. Landscaping can also add protection. – Ben Robinson, chair of the Martha’s Vineyard Commission Climate Action Task Force.

Going Green – and Modular With the increased popularity of modular homes on the Vineyard, we were curious about how they compare to traditional on-site building in terms of energy efficiency and environmental impact. We asked Squash Meadow Construction president Bill Potter to give us some perspective, and we learned that energy efficiency was a key driver in Bill’s decision to move towards modular building in the first place.

Q. What aspects of modular homes offer a more environmentally friendly building experience over typical construction?

A. We feel that modular homes are the way of the future. Squash Meadow started working with modular homes in 2007 specifically because of energy efficiency. Clients were coming in with questions about green building.

We chose to work with Westchester Modular Homes and built our first prototype on East Chop. It won an Energystar award and got LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certified.

Modular construction involves less waste across all points of the process. It takes 67 percent less energy to build a modular home than to build a home on site. The house can be cut and made in the factory in seven days, compared to the six to nine months it takes to do new, onsite construction. At the factory, everything is cut to order and stacked neatly. The materials stay dry. Not as much lumber is being dropped off and thrown away. And whatever waste there is ends up in recycling.

Also, modular homes are made tighter so there’s less air infiltration. The sheetrock is glued and screwed instead of being sheetrocked to a stud.

Q. When a home’s components are made in the factory, are they made from materials that are more environmentally friendly?

A. The majority of the components in each house are made from

pre-consumer or post-consumer recycled content. As often as possible, we use materials with no volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are chemicals found in solvent-based and water-based paints and coatings. People who have had their houses painted recently might be aware of “no VOC” paints like ones available from Benjamin Moore. We also work with materials that don’t have formaldehyde and those that do have a “Green Label” stamp. The lumber is sourced from forests that are properly managed.

Q. If I’m building a modular home, what type of energy-efficient heating system will I likely be looking at?

A. All homes are subject to evaluation on the HERS (Home Energy Rating System) index. Recently, this has become part of the building code, but we have been following it for 15 years; it has been part of the LEED for Homes building criteria.

A HERS rating takes many factors into consideration when coming up with a score: the efficiency of the heating and cooling systems; the tightness of the house; the efficiency of the appliances and whether the house has renewable energy such as solar. Each house is “engineered” with the correct heating system. This could be a super-efficient propane gas furnace or a heat pump/mini-split. For hot water, we generally use an on-demand system that is only using energy to heat the water as needed.

About That Lawn and Those Leaves Q. Is it possible to have an eco-friendly lawn?

A. Yes, this is possible if you manage your expectations. Your lawn won’t be as lush without traditional pesticides and fertilizers, and environmentally friendly products may take longer or be more costly to implement. But we can start reducing our dependence on traditional chemical applications by choosing the right grass blends that can do better on their own.

Next we should be using a deep layer of high-quality soil so that grass roots can grow deep and draw nutrients from the ground, and withstand bouts of drought and disease better. Lastly, the mowing; in an ideal situation you wouldn’t pick up the grass clippings but would mulch them and leave them on the lawn to act as natural fertilizer as they decay.

An eco-friendly lawn is actually better for the environment than mulch, wood chips, or any type of hardscape element.

Grass is a living plant so it will help with air pollution, stormwater runoff, carbon dioxide, and other pollutants and pro-

duce clean oxygen like any other plant. A 50’ x 50’ foot lawn will produce enough oxygen for a family of four people. It’s a popular misconception that lawns are bad for the environment. It’s not the lawns that harm the environment, only some of the methods in which they are maintained. – Jesse Fuller, owner, The Fullers Company

Q. What are ways to keep my eco-friendly lawn healthy?

A. The most important issue with lawns is the soil. It’s always best to do a soil test to see what organic nutrients may be lacking. The results will inform you of what is needed to get your soil healthy.

The test will also recommend the ratio blend of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium needed. Adding the proper ratio of organic material to your lawn will promote healthy growth. Organic fertilizers feed the root system, creating a thick healthy lawn. Keeping the height of the grass at three inches or above is the best way to keep weeds from germinating and pests invading. – Jude Villa, owner

operator at Working Earth Organic Gardening and Landscaping

Q. What are some environmentally friendly alternatives to lawns?

A. Growing food on your own property is one of the key things you can do to help mitigate climate change. The more food we purchase from other places, the more carbon we’re using. If you grow your own, you don’t have to leave your yard! If you’re a renter, try a container garden. Garden centers have extra plant containers around in the spring; some will give them away for free.

If not a food garden, we can turn our lawns into eco-lawns by planting grass seed that doesn’t require fertilizer and mowing. We just need to change our mindset about what a nice lawn looks like. You can also take part of your lawn and convert it into an area for native plants and pollinator plants that will attract beneficial insects. Use a variety of different flower shapes, colors and sizes; some favorites are coneflowers, butterfly weed, Mexican sunflowers and anise

hyssop. Or convert some of your lawn to shrub borders that will help bring various wildlife into your yard. Cranberrybush viburnum, shadbush (or serviceberry), clethra (pepperbush) and highbush blueberry attract birds and bees. – Roxanne Kapitan, landscape designer with Oakleaf Landscaping and garden educator

Q. How can we attract more diverse wildlife to our yards?

A. Most of the actions are simple and just require thoughtfulness. They include rethinking and limiting your lawn space so there is more living space for plants, possibly converting some to meadow; removing invasive species because they have higher CO2 conditions that negatively affect our ecosystems; providing animals with a water source like a birdbath or fountain on your property; and creating brush piles of branches, twigs and leaves so that animals have places to nest and to take cover from predators.

I encourage people to plant more trees and in particular to plant more native species. Oaks as a species are a keystone to how our ecosystem functions. They provide homes to butterflies, moths, and birds; their leaves and bark are used by animals as food and provide essential nutrients; and oaks fight climate change by sequestering carbon for significant amounts of time. – Angela Luckey, program director National Neighbors Program, Biodiversity Works

Q. Gas-powered leaf blowers are noisy and guzzle fuel. Is there an alternative?

A. You have three options. Of course, you can allow leaves to remain on your lawn; you’d have to be comfortable with that look. You can manually rake. Or you can use an electric blower instead of a gas-powered one. We much prefer using electric blowers as they are quieter, easier to use, less costly to operate and require less maintenance. But they currently have some limits. Because they operate at somewhat lower speeds and can only push an air volume of up to about 60 percent of what a gas-powered blower can, a clean-up job can take longer. For a small yard on a fairly dry day, it might not matter, but for a larger yard or if the leaves are damp, it makes a big difference. Many homeowners may be okay with a longer clean-up time (and higher cost), but others will not.

The good news is that as battery technology continues to improve and costs go down, there will be electric blowers that can compete better with gas ones. – Jesse Fuller, owner, The Fullers Company

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Searching for Energy Efficiency Q. Should we be converting most of our home systems to electric energy? If we have to start in a few key places, what would they be?

A. Definitely. For example, if a typical Vineyard house that uses propane converts heat, hot water, clothes drying, and cooking (and pool heating if that is part of the mix) to electric heat pumps, heat pump dryers, and induction cooktops (which are two and a half times more efficient than gas), the carbon emissions will go down 35 to 40 percent. And that’s without any reduction of the load from building enclosure upgrades, and without adding solar electric. – Marc Rosenbaum, founder, Energysmiths

Q. Are heat pumps the most efficient option for people seeking to achieve energy efficiency?

A. We talk about two types of efficiency: operating efficiency and financial efficiency. Operating efficiency is about how a system performs. Regarding performance, heat pumps are much better than any system using fossil fuels. Generally, it’s four times more efficient to move heat rather than to generate it, and it’s more sustainable to make electricity. Even with an electric baseboard, you put a kilowatt of energy in and a kilowatt comes out. But with the heat pumps, we can get two, three or four watts of energy out because we’re getting the energy from outside.

At our office [Nelson Mechanical Design on State Road in Vineyard Haven], we’ve combined solar panels with heat pumps. Our building is net zero over this year: We produce more electricity than we are using. That’s sustainability.

Heat pumps are also cost effective because, in the long run, the systems operate at a cost savings compared to

propane and oil. There’s a calculator on the Mass Save website (masssave.com) where you can punch in your zip code and it generates an educated guess on the estimated costs for oil and propane versus a heat pump.

You have to look at the costs in terms of the life of a system. Almost anything will pay for itself over five years. At this point, heat pumps are still considered “disposable” systems, but they have a life expectancy of 12 to 15 years. Mass Save is supporting homeowners by helping to make the initial cost of installing a heat pump less expensive. They’re giving a ton of money in rebates to homeowners who switch over to heat pumps. They’re also making loans, or helping homeowners find loans. You can find ways to make the switch budget-neutral.

Overall, my recommendations for people seeking energy efficiency are: weatherize, get better windows, install cold climate heat pumps, and install solar. If you can afford to install both a heat pump system and solar panels, you should do it. – David Sprague, co-owner, Nelson Mechanical Design

Q. Does it make sense to add solar panels to a home if you haven’t upgraded other energy systems?

A. For most people, a solar electric system is a good financial decision that can stand on its own without other decarbonization/energy saving measures. In the best case, an overall assessment is done to see what other upgrades may make sense either at the same time or as part of a clear master plan. For example, if the roof is old enough to be replaced, and the house is leaky and under-insulated, adding an air barrier and insulation as part of the roof replacement would make sense. – Marc Rosenbaum, founder, Energysmiths

Greening Your Landscape Before starting an ambitious landscaping project, consider best practices for building and maintaining an eco-friendly landscape. Dan K. Gordon, principal of Dan Gordon Landscape Architects, offers his top considerations for sustainability.

Q. When planning a landscaping project, how can I make my project as environmentally friendly as possible?

A. There are many things you can do. Here are our top ten considerations: 1. Make sure to protect your existing resource areas and wildlife habitat areas and incorporate them as a central part of your design.

2. Maximize light and reduce energy costs by considering site conditions such as solar orientation, prevailing winds, topography and vegetation.

3. Use current technology, including smart systems for irrigation, to improve efficiency and reduce waste.

4. Develop a landscape design which incorporates and fosters native plants.

Native plants can reduce the need for irrigation, pesticides and maintenance.

5. Manage stormwater to eliminate erosion and slow runoff; use rainwater for irrigation and wildlife.

6. Reuse and recycle existing site structures and resources; source plant and stone materials locally.

7. Reduce impervious surfaces and, when necessary, use paving with reduced heat absorption; consider green roofs when possible.

8. Use LED and Dark Sky-compliant lighting systems to reduce energy needs and light pollution.

9. Incorporate eco-friendly maintenance practices, from electric maintenance equipment to integrated pest management to natural and organic fertilizers.

10. Build a landscape that will stand the test of time, that will endure and enhance the environment.

Dishing on Dryers As an architect, a member of the Martha’s Vineyard Commission, and chair of the MVC’s Climate Action Task Force, Ben Robinson is constantly thinking about sustainable solutions to the ways we live. At home, he and his family embrace the solutions, so we asked him for the lowdown on home appliances.

Q. Is a front-loading or top-loading washing machine better? Which is the most energy-efficient clothes dryer?

A. There isn't much difference with modern washing machines, frontor top-loading. You should consider how often you wash and what you wash. Don’t use plastic or synthetic clothing, since this is a primary way that micro-plastics and associated chemicals find their way into our groundwater. Also consider the soap you use in regards to chemicals and antibacterial additives.

In terms of dryers, the sun is the best, most energy-efficient dryer you can use; direct sunlight also acts as a disinfectant. Just hang your clothes outside, even in the winter, and if it’s too wet out or below freezing without

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enough wind to evaporate and dry, hang your clothes inside. As an added benefit, you humidify the air with drying clothes. Also air-dried clothes last longer, as the dryer wears down the fabrics more quickly. So just try to avoid using the dryer as much as possible. If you have one, go electric, eliminating the need for propane.

Q. Should we be handwashing our dishes or using our dishwashers?

A. Depending on how well you hand wash – Do you let the water just run?

Are you efficient with the use of soap? Do you have a system that limits the water you use? – you could be more efficient than a dishwasher. But if you don’t have a good system, you are likely using more water and more soap than a good dishwasher would, and you will be less efficient.

Island Energy and Climate Change Resources Cape Light Compact capelightcompact.org Cape Light Compact provides energy services to the Cape and Martha’s Vineyard, and offers a free home-energy assessment program and ways to save with rebates.

Island Climate Action Network islandclimateaction.org ICAN is a volunteer organization on the Vineyard that provides information about and support for local climate activities. Visit the website for short films, resources, events, and lots of useful tips and information about how you can start converting to clean and green energy.

Island Grown Initiative

Cutting Back on Food Waste Noli Taylor, food equity advocate and senior director of programs at Island Grown Initiative, quickly got us up to speed on the state of food waste in this country. Forty percent of the food produced in America is never eaten and the average American household of four loses $120 each month to wasted food. Once discarded, Noli explained, that wasted food has a serious climate impact and greenhouse gas footprint.

The production, packaging, and shipping of food is a major driver of greenhouse gas emissions and when food is wasted, the methane released by decomposing food in landfills increases the climate impact. Six to eight percent of all greenhouse gas emissions are attributable to wasted food. In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that the emissions from our wasted food are equivalent to 42 coal-fired power plants, not even counting the methane emissions from landfills.

Knowing that food waste is one area where we can make an impact with small changes, we asked Noli for some tips.

Q. What are some of the best ways to handle our food waste?

First and foremost, I recommend arming yourself with The Waste-Free Kitchen Handbook by Dana Gunders. Then try to incorporate some new habits into your food planning and preparation routines: • Plan ahead prior to shopping trips.

• Freeze what you won’t use in a few days.

• Use less-than-perfect fruits or vegetables in smoothies, soup stocks or sauces instead of throwing them out.

• Buy frozen foods when local fresh food isn’t available. Frozen foods waste less all along the supply chain.

• Put a box in your refrigerator that says “Use me first!” to remember where to start when making a meal.

• Sometimes “use by” or “best by” dates can be misleading and can be tools for food companies to sell even more when the food is perfectly good past those dates. Use your sense of sight and smell to double-check those “best by” dates.

• When you do have food scraps to dispose of, instead of sending them to the landfill or the incinerator by putting them in your trash, compost them at home or bring them to your local transfer station or to Island Grown Initiative (IGI). to be turned into compost. IGI will use that compost to grow more food for the Island.

igimv.org Visit IGI’s website to learn more about their gleaning, composting, and regenerative agricultural programs.

Mass Save masssave.com Visit masssave.com to find out how you can access financial and technical help in transitioning to more energy-efficient systems.

Massachusetts Clean Energy Center goclean.masscec.com The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources has put together this easy-to-navigate useful site for learning how to optimize your home for clean energy. Check out the Introduction to the Clean Energy Home, available as a downloadable PDF. (Click on the guide link on the homepage.)

Martha’s Vineyard Commission Climate Change mvcommission.org\climate-change The website for the Martha’s Vineyard Commission’s climate change programs includes the 2021 Dukes County Hazard Mitigation Update as well as information on the Island’s Climate Action Task Force.

Polly Hill Arboretum Plant Finder plantfinder.pollyhillarboretum.org With PHA’s handy Martha’s Vineyard Plant Selection Guide, you can choose the characteristics of plants you are looking for and the guide will offer you specific plant suggestions suitable for Vineyard landscapes.

The Vineyard Way thevineyardway.org/events The Vineyard Way is the website for the Martha’s Vineyard Climate Action Plan. Visit the events page to find out what is planned for Martha’s Vineyard Climate Action Week, May 8 - 14, 2022.

Vineyard Conservation Society Climate Change Resources vineyardconservation.org/a Visit the climate change section of the VCS website for aggregated Island climate change resources, including article links, video links, and sea level rise maps.

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Composting, Uncomplicated If you can remember green + brown, you’re ready to start composting.

BY EMILY MEEGAN • PHOTOS BY RAY EWING You’ve just snacked on a nice juicy apple.

What to do with that apple core? Tossing it in a compost bucket instead of the trash is a win-win habit you won’t regret forming. You’re reducing your kitchen waste while contributing to the future of your soil – an easy way to multitask. Combine your kitchen waste with grass clippings and leaves, and over time, from months to years, the mixture will become fluffy and soil-like, rich in moisture-holding properties, beneficial micro-organisms, and nutrients for growing plants.

and watches how the leaves and organic waste break down to become the perfect food for her plants.

“I’ve always composted. My grandmother composted,” says Diana Gilmore, a realtor who lives in West Tisbury and is creating gardens at her home. She says each year she moves the compost pile to another spot on the edge of her yard

Roxanne Kapitan, landscape manager at Oakleaf Landscaping, is a gardener and educator who works hard to keep her compost piles in balance.

At her home on the Oak Bluffs side of the Lagoon, she uses a homemade cage

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Many people (including me) have a place in their yard where they pile leaves and grass clippings. Aside from the labor of mowing and raking, these piles are the free and valuable building blocks of composting. With a little effort, leaves and grass clippings produce a rich ingredient to add to our flower and vegetable beds in the coming years.

of wire mesh, set directly on the bare ground. The rule of thumb is three layers of brown to one layer of green. “Browns” offer carbon and are often (yes) brown in color – dried leaves, straw or hay, sawdust, composted wood chips, used peat moss or potting soil, small twigs.

“Greens” are the nitrogen source and include grass clippings, raw fruits and vegetables (peelings or overripe), egg shells, tea and coffee grounds, small branches from pruning, and even weeds (preferably those not gone to seed, which may not decompose entirely in a slow compost pile).

Roxanne recommends starting the pile with a thick layer of brown leaves; she uses two to three feet of oak leaves as her base.

The best spot to locate your compost bin is partial shade. In all aspects, the pile needs to be kept at a happy medium: not too sunny nor too shady, not too wet nor too dry, not too much brown nor too much green.

Roxanne mentioned that it’s a good idea to stockpile some extra leaves and grass clippings near your compost bin so that you can add some of them when you add your kitchen waste. A common mistake is to add too much kitchen waste without more “brown” material. Some additions, like wood ash (which is a valuable source of carbon), should be spread in a very thin layer so that they are sure to be well-integrated. I have started to save wood ash from our wood stove to add to our pile during the summer.

A RECIPE FOR COMPOST

Garden educator Roxanne Kapitan recommends one part green to three parts brown when building a compost pile.

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Roxanne Kapitan adds "green" material (kitchen scraps such as raw fruits and vegetables, egg shells, tea and coffee grounds) to her compost pile.

Garden trimmings and grass clippings are also considered green material.

Roxanne recommends keeping "brown" material (such as used peat moss or potting soil) nearby to add to the pile whenever green is added.

Finishing with a layer of "brown" dried leaves – a readily available ingredient on the Vineyard – will keep the pile in balance.

Roxanne doesn’t use commercial compost starters or boosters. Instead she recommends finding a good source of composted horse or cow manure (one to two years old), or bedding from chickens, rabbits, goats and sheep, all of which can be used fresh in a compost pile. The ideal material is a mix of straw or wood chips and manure, so offer to clean out your friend’s chicken or rabbit coop! If you can’t find a source of manure, Roxanne says that topsoil from your garden will also encourage your pile to break down. Choose soil that is not too sandy or full of clay. What the soil, manure or

previous compost will do for your pile is to provide the microorganisms that begin breaking down your compost.

Ideally, your compost pile will be a hotspot for microbial activity. In fact, a “hot” compost pile, where the temperature at the center of the pile is about 130 to 140 degrees, will speed composting along so rapidly that you could have usable compost in a few months. From experience, Roxanne says a pile about four feet square (no smaller) is the ideal size for hot composting. The size of the pile is important, but hot composting also requires more attention to the balance of

carbon and nitrogen.

For many of us, slower composting is easier, even though it can take a year or so to get your first batch of usable compost. Because my pile is fairly dormant in the winter, in the spring I rake out the bin and leave the half-cooked compost nearby to keep working for another year, turning it over when I can. The finished pile from last year goes in the vegetable garden, where it is easy to add to every row or hole I’m planting. The new half-finished pile, outside the bin, is a good spot to proof dahlia tubers, to see if they will sprout or not. This pile always

yields a few volunteer butternut squash plants that produce way more squash than anything grown inside the garden.

Some people build a three-bin compost system so that they can move compost from bin to bin as it ages. You can move a batch of partially-aged compost from the first to the second bin and leave it alone, while continuing to add new material to the first bin. When the second bin is completely broken down (the material will look like soil), you can move it to the third bin, which is available for you to take from any time. You can construct a system like this from THE VINE · Page 19

TOP: A handful of almost-finished compost from Roxanne's pile. LEFT: Roxanne's compost goes straight into the planting beds in her greenhouse, where it loosens the garden soil, helps it to retain moisture. and increases the population of beneficial micro-organisms.

wood pallets and chicken wire.

Instead of open piles, many people choose a closed system to reduce smells that will attract rats, skunks and raccoons. SBS in Vineyard Haven carries sturdy plastic Compost Wizards that contain the waste and make it easy to turn and aerate. (Another advantage to tumbler-style composters is that they generally speed up composting.) You can also find a range of other composting equipment at SBS, from boosters and inoculants that can help jump-start the process to wire cages and galvanized cans with air holes.

Jim and Joan Malkin of Chilmark have been using a two-chamber compost tumbler for years with good success. They have not had problems with skunks or rats. They have now added a countertop Vitamix FoodCycler (photo at right) to their system. The idea is similar to what Island Grown Initiative (IGI)'s giant grinder does to start the breakdown process, only on a much smaller scale: The small machine dries and chops kitchen waste. Volume is reduced dramatically, says Jim, from one gallon of kitchen waste to a handful of dried, chopped matter similar in texture to tobacco. This can be used as a fertilizer added to the soil at planting time, or it can be added to their compost tumblers, as part of the “green” necessary to break down the brown.

And if you don’t want to do your Page 20 · THE VINE

own composting, you can still save your scraps and contribute to Island-wide composting thanks to IGI. You can pick up a free countertop composting bucket (available at town dumps, the West Tisbury library, and at IGI’s office in West Tisbury) and drop off your compost at the IGI farm (for free) or any of the town transfer stations. Oak Bluffs and Tisbury charge a nominal fee for the drop-off at their transfer stations; the other towns will accept food scraps for free.

Because of the massive grinder and tumbler that IGI uses, they are able to accept food waste – including meat, fish, dairy, bones, and lobster shells – that a

home composter would usually not include in their pile.

“Reducing the amount of food we waste is a powerful and practical way we can each make a difference, for climate and for our pocketbooks,” says IGI program director Noli Taylor. “By composting our food scraps, we keep these valuable nutrients on our Island and build the health of local farm and garden soils, making it easier for us to grow more abundant, delicious food right here at home.”

Emily Meegan lives in Chilmark and works at the West Tisbury Public Library.

BOTTOM LEFT: A Vitamix FoodCycler chops and dehydrates kitchen waste, turning a gallon of waste into a handful of material to add to the garden or your compost pile. BOTTOM RIGHT: Closed tumbler-style composters, like this Compost Wizard, speed up composting and keep varmints from getting into compost.

THE VINE · Page 21

Left to right: Emily Lowe, Jennifer Straub, and Hana Kahn are three young Islanders among Sophia Brush Warren's (far right) crew of 30 at Vineyard Decorators.

For Young Designers, The Future is On-Island Island businesses like Vineyard Decorators, Martha’s Vineyard Interior Design and Hutker Architects offer opportunities for career building – without having to leave the Vineyard.

BY ALEXANDRA BULLEN COUTTS • PHOTOS BY RAY EWING Sophia Brush Warren has a vision, and it has little to do with your living room.

Of course, as chief operating officer and creative director of Vineyard Decorators, the Island’s largest supplier of home furnishings and decor, Sophia spends a fair amount of time considering couches, managing inventory and keeping the showroom ship-shape, while also overseeing the company’s newly expanded in-house interior design studio.

But beyond the latest trends in home design or the evolution in Islanders’ taste and style, Sophia is most interested in the development of a far more precious commodity: her staff. And she’s not alone.

Across the Island, interior design busiPage 22 · THE VINE

nesses – both small, independent studios and larger firms – have grown into major employers, with a particular interest in recruiting and nurturing young talent.

For Sophia, the decision to focus on employee development was a personal one. Born on the Island, she arrived at Vineyard Decorators by way of the fashion industry; after working for eight seasons at Pandora’s Box in Menemsha, she moved to Boston and took a retail position at fledgling denim company True Religion. Quickly working her way up to the executive level and landing eventually in Los Angeles, Sophia loved her job; by the end of her tenure she was managing 4,000 employees and overseeing

the brand’s direct-to-consumer retail operations for North America and Europe.

Still, the experience of having to leave the Island in order to grow professionally stayed with her.

So when her brother, Vineyard Decorators owner Whitney Brush, asked her to come back to the Vineyard and help him with the “people managing” side of operations, she jumped at the chance.

Her first order of business, she said, was to help Whitney create an “education-based company culture with a focus on peer mentoring.” In other words, she hoped to create the opportunities for young Islanders that she had looked for when she was starting out.

This dream became a reality through thoughtful restructuring and creative hiring practices. Because of the large showroom, Sophia is able to get a sense of people's abilities in a retail environment. “What differentiates us from other places is that we have the ability to bring in people without a formal design background,” Sophia said. Many of her staff come to her with a retail or fashion resumé, which she sees as a natural fit. “If you can put together an outfit, and you like styling it, that translates into putting together a living room.”

She has also hired, to great success, former bartenders and servers. “Some of my favorite people to hire are restaurant people,” she said. “The hustle you get from a restaurant worker – their ability to multi-

task under pressure – is incredible.”

Sophia often finds herself making the case to younger workers to move away from seasonal employment and into a steadier, year-round income. Her employees earn a competitive salary, with full benefits. “This is the perfect place for somebody who is trying to make the transition from seasonal shuffle to career. And it’s the perfect place for somebody working retail who doesn’t see much room to grow.”

Growth at Vineyard Decorators comes in the form of peer mentorship opportunities as well as frequent trainings. Sophia invests heavily in her staff, with the understanding that they’re going to invest in themselves, in return. “It’s work,” she admits. “I will give you an amazing opportunity, but you have to work for it and you have to want it. You have to show up.”

Talent Wanted Like Sophia, Elizabeth Stiving-Nichols, owner since 2010 of Martha’s Vineyard Interior Design (MVID) and a sister boutique, Bespoke Abode, is constantly on the lookout for new talent.

Because MVID is a smaller firm, Liz says that she does require a certain level of experience and familiarity with the design programs and software. That often means that young designers join her team fresh out of design school or with a few years of off-Island professional expe-

Welcome to The Oyster, your year-round, on-Island survival guide for young adults (and the young-at-heart!) You’ll find me — Alex — here in each print issue of the Vine with musings, interviews and tips for staying connected all year long. The party continues online and on Instagram (@OysterMV) where we’ll be posting regularly with info on upcoming events, job listings, classes and other randomly curated pick-me-ups.

This month’s web features include more behind-the-scenes with young Island designers, plus tips from Hala and Sarah for designing small spaces (with special considerations for the “shufflers” among us…). You’ll find it all at The Oyster online: vineyardgazette.com/vine/oyster.

Young designers at Vineyard Decorators are offered on-the-job training. Left to right: Lauren Brock, Julianna Theil, Paulina Capen.

rience. For many years, Liz has seen the struggle of the younger recruits to settle on the Island and find stable housing. To help address this challenge she has recently purchased a five-bedroom home in West Chop which she hopes will help ease the transition for new designers as they become comfortable with Island life. “This will allow our team members to have a sense of security, and not have to stress about where they’e going to live next,” she says.

Because many of her designers are young adults, Liz finds herself mentoring them through stages of adulthood that go beyond project proposals and working with clients. “I’m dedicated to my team,” she says, “which in turn creates a dedicated team.”

As the business has grown she’s been able to offer a robust benefits package and she makes sure to explain all of the options to team members. “Recently I sat down with one of the younger women and we talked over the 401K plan and savings,” she said. “I gave her the snowball analogy – how if you start saving and investing at 25 you’ll have this much, but if you wait until 35 your snowball grows less.”

MVID’s managing interior designer, Hala Zohbi, accepted a job working for Liz four years ago. Originally from Canada, Hala was an established designer,

looking for a life change and new professional direction. Knowing next to nothing about the Island, she arrived in Vineyard Haven and walked the few blocks up to MVID’s Main street office for an interview. “I accepted the position seeing only that little strip of the Island,” she said. “I moved here to take the job and haven’t left since.”

Now Hala works with Liz to hire new designers and bring fresh talent to their small but growing team. Currently hiring for two design assistant positions and two junior designers, Hala says she looks for people with a certain level of experience but not necessarily a certain style or taste. “We’re looking at how they communicate, how they present themselves,” she says. “Attention to detail is everything.”

Liz agrees. “We’re a small collaborative office, and I believe in promoting from within,” she says. “People don’t always come with all of the skills but they have to have that something. Everything else I can teach.”

Designing a Life When Hutker Architect’s designer Sarah Shriber Ives was little, growing up between Mamaronek, New York and her family’s summer home in Aquinnah, she THE VINE · Page 23

always imagined she’d work in a big city office, doing something design-related.

“But I also always wanted to live on the Vineyard,” she said.

After earning a graduate degree in interior architecture at Suffolk University, Sarah landed a dream job working in commercial design at a large firm in Boston. Her big office dreams were coming true, and she loved it. But by then she’d reconnected with childhood friend and Island builder Taylor Ives, and the two began planning a life together back on the Vineyard.

“There was some culture shock at first,” she admits about the transition to Island life. Luckily, she landed at Hutker, one of the Island’s bigger firms, where she began as a “Designer 1” and has worked her way up to Senior Interior Designer.

Between its architecture and design departments, Hutker recruits many young, talented professionals to work in their Island office (they also have outposts in Falmouth and Plymouth) and experience Island life. “There’s so much learning happening all of the time at Hutker,” Sarah says. “In a bigger firm, everybody has their own expertise, so there are always lunch and learns, design

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reviews…it’s just a continuously exciting learning environment.”

Hutker also invests in up-and-coming architects and designers by creating relationships at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School, through which they offer internship programs and occasional classes. For anyone potentially interested in studying design in college or beyond, Sarah recommends reaching out to her or other designers. “Just ask questions,” she says. “We love what we do and we’re happy to talk to anyone about how to get started.”

For Sarah, living on the Island and working at Hutker is the perfect balance of a fulfilling career and the Vineyard life she’d always dreamed of living. Like Sophia and Hala, Sarah appreciates the stability that a “9 to 5” design job affords, along with all of the excitement of a creative profession.

And the views from the job sites don’t hurt. “I work a lot,” she says. “I still have late nights, but it’s so exciting.

It fills my soul. And the fact that I can balance it out with a walk on the beach is perfect.”

Alex Bullen Coutts is a writer living in West Tisbury and editor of The Oyster.

Sarah Ives was happy to be able to return to the Island and work in her profession. She is now a Senior Interior Designer at Hutker Architects.

Martha’s Vineyard Magazine

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THE VINE · Page 25

TIME FOR A CHANGE

BY NICOLE GRACE MERCIER • ILLUSTRATIONS BY CHRIS BURRELL

1,400 SHIFTING SANDS. According to the Trustees of Reservations “State of the Coast” report, beaches around the Island have lost more than 1,400 acres to erosion since 1897.

SOLD! First Quarter Real Estate Sales on the Vineyard

$11,000,000 most expensive single-family home sold.

12" to 48" ON THE RISE. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the average sea level rise on Martha’s Vineyard is projected to be between 12 and 48 inches by 2050.

$522,308 least expensive single-family home sold.

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$12,250,000 most expensive piece of land sold.

ELECTRIC CHARGE. Across Martha’s Vineyard, there are 25 electric vehicle charging stations.

$720,000 RECYCLE! In 2020, it cost Vineyard towns $720,000 to export food waste off-Island.

The Martha’s Vineyard Food Waste Initiative seeks to reduce food waste on the Island by 50% by 2030.

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$375,000 least expensive piece of land sold.

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through the lens @dolandurkee Liz Dolan Durkee first started photographing at dawn about eight years ago. Up for her early morning walk, she was surprised to see a deer in her Oak Bluffs neighborhood, which is very close to town. The next day she decided to bring her camera in case she saw another one (which of course she did!). She discovered that photographing in the dawn light appealed to her. “It’s unique every day. It gives me hope, watching the darkness turn to

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light.” Camera in hand, Liz makes her way to Ocean Park, to the fishing pier, to the beach – anywhere she can experience that light. “The shoreline changes with the seasons – the vegetation, the mood. It never quite looks the same.” Liz’s goal for her Instagram feed is to offer her followers a vision of peace to start their day off. The bonus? A Beatles lyric with every post.

Follow photographer and Beatles fan Liz Durkee @dolandurkee on Instagram.

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