To a trained eye there is an abundance of food ripe for the picking all across Martha’s Vineyard.
A patch of onion grass billowing in the wind? That might pair well with a bowl of squirrel meatballs. The natty clump of seaweed that everyone walks by without a second notion? Cook that, chop it up and serve it alongside the day’s catch, perhaps a striper, bonito or blue.
This is the philosophy behind the Local Wild Food Challenge, which returns this weekend after a long hiatus.
The event takes place on Monday, Oct. 12 at the Grange Hall in West Tisbury, from noon to 5 p.m. This will be the first wild food challenge since the Covid-19 pandemic.
The idea is both simple and complex. Cook one dish with at least one ingredient harvested or hunted from the wild.
“I’m really pumped we’re coming back to Martha’s Vineyard,” said Billy Manson, the founder of the Local Wild Food Challenge. “It’s a celebration of what people want to eat and want to share and give to each other while having fun out in the elements.”
The event is hosted in partnership with the Vineyard Preservation Trust and is designed to be both interactive and educational. It will offer a discussion led by Tick Free MV, a musical performance by Johnny Hoy and the Bluefish and various opportunities for the public to learn about sustainable foraging and harvesting practices.
“I want people to understand their space, their environment, as well as their ingredients,” said Mr. Manson.
Mr. Manson, who is originally from New Zealand and has been working as a chef on the Vineyard for 25 years, began hosting wild food challenges in 2009 as a way to connect a community to its surrounding environment. He has since held similar events in five countries.
“I’m a firm believer of getting out into your environment,” he said. “The more you’re out there, the more you can really understand it.”
Meg Athearn has competed in past wild food challenges and will be a judge this year.
“It’s an opportunity for creativity and sharing culinary skills and [Billy] just gets a bunch of great prizes from the Island and different vendors and puts packages together,” she said.
Drinks, desserts, soups, appetizers and entrees are all on the menu with vegetarian and vegan options as well. Ingredients such as seaweed, onion grass, Concord grapes, Russian olives or hazelnuts are always welcome additions to almost any dish.
“I’m always looking for wild food, like whenever I’m going anywhere,” said Ms. Athearn.
Safety is a top priority for the organizers.
“I am pretty watertight on that stuff,” said Mr. Manson. “If I can’t identify it 100 per cent I don’t even pick it. I don’t put it near my mouth. I just think it’s just taking too much risk.”
“If you can identify something completely then get into it; when in doubt leave it out,” he added.
According to Mr. Manson, the Local Wild Food Challenge is a festival built upon the pillars of learning, protecting and enjoying.
“At the end of that process is our festival,” Mr. Manson said. “You become a much better steward for the space. You become enlightened by the other ingredient possibilities.”
The event is free for all competitors. Tickets for people looking to attend the event are $25. Only 250 tickets will be offered to the general public.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit mvlocalwildfoodfestival.com/event-details
This article appears in October 9, 2026.