Rugged, Salty, Local
Edited by Marina Crouse
Heidi Feldman representing Martha’s Vineyard Sea Salt at the West Tisbury Farmers Market.
Something Salty this Way Comes
“If you’ve swum in the ocean here, you’ve tasted our product!” Heidi Feldman proclaims.
She elicits a laugh from a customer as he peruses rows of neatly-stacked glass, bamboo cases, and a few cartons of chicken eggs. Selecting a jar labeled “Sumac, Paprika, and Garlic,” the gentleman brings it to eye level and carefully rotates it in the morning sunlight. Adorned with flecks of blue-green seaglass - all recycled - the container’s exterior contrasts the earthy, golden hues of its contents.
It’s salt, but it bears little resemblance to the finely-processed granules one might pour from a retractable metal spout. This is Martha’s Vineyard Sea Salt, harvested from the Atlantic and blended with fresh spices and herbs to yield something at once nourishing and, well, suggestive.
“‘Sexy on the plate’?” One woman reads aloud from the list of flavor descriptions perched atop a stack of “Salt On” shirts.
“That’s the ‘Naughty’ variety,” Heidi explains, pointing to a glass of onyx-colored salt, “we use activated charcoal to create a smoky, rich seasoning.”
The robust crystals Heidi cultivates produce powerful flavors, which are even further enhanced when rubbed between the fingers. Incorporating MV Sea Salt into a dish will result in an aromatic and tantalizing experience, but responsible sprinkling is advised.
“You’ll want to use just a pinch at a time, otherwise you won’t be happy with me.” She recommends, and the woman nods jovially as she makes her purchase.
While conducting the transaction, Heidi waves to the fourth or fifth person of the day swinging by just to say hi. Minutes later, they approach the tent and ask her to perform a spot for the Market’s Instagram. Without missing a beat, Heidi plucks a popular flavor from the display and delivers a crisp performance.
“We eat light, we eat right, we want more depth in our food. This is what porcini does for us. Bring a little umami into your life!”
In the first hour of the West Tisbury Farmers Market, the booth is populated with curious shoppers. While some folks made a beeline for coffee upon hearing the opening cowbell ring, many gravitated towards Heidi and her wares.
Navigating, Centuries Apart
It comes as little surprise that Heidi chose salt when building her business, though not simply because the ingredient is bold. While she describes herself as “hyper local” and “five-foot-nothing and a little sassy,” her outlook and relationship with the Vineyard also intersect with the story of salt.
“It harkens back to the days of old when whaling captains and then lobstermen, then fishermen, made a living.” Heidi explains during a brief lull in customer traffic, “Pre-radar, pre-sonar, (they) scrapped together their living for their families using relationships - and yes, sometimes arguments - using the land, using the sea, to live their lives and live their lives fully.”
The “it” to which Heidi refers is self-reliance, a component that she argues is central to the Vineyard’s identity. In fact, the island’s culture of “working with what people have” was a motivating factor for Heidi and her husband, Curtis, to venture off the mainland about 20 years ago. They had been visiting friends in Oak Bluffs for years and, eventually, their affinity for island living became too compelling to fight.
“Why live in a place that you like and you’re constantly trying to climb the ladder when you can live in a place you love?” Heidi shrugs, concluding “You can always make money.”
After settling in as a wash-ashore - a resident who didn’t grow up on the island - Heidi identified salt as an abundant Vineyard resource, but one that hadn’t truly been utilized in a few centuries. So she exhibited the very ruggedness she observed by founding MV Sea Salt with Curtis in 2013. Though Heidi would be remiss, she says, if she didn’t attribute some of the company’s inspiration to a horseback ride.
“There was a horse that was being given away in the bargain box in the newspaper. I’d always wanted a horse. She took so much concerted effort... riding with wild abandon and (I was) having so much fun trying to hang on for my life.”
Heidi pauses to hug a fellow market vendor who has stopped by the tent, exchanges a carton of eggs for a sandwich, then continues excitedly.
“You know, thoughts pop into your head and you’re like ‘how do I change my life so I don’t have to work corporate? How do I do something that’s a natural resource because, on (the horse’s) back, I learned so much more about the island, like the forest and all the different land bank trails that we were able to explore. That, combined with the local food movement, got me really grown on the idea of salt.”
Heidi was also no stranger to producing and harvesting her own food at that point. Maintaining a lush garden was a major source of joy for Heidi when living in Boston. She quickly took advantage of Vineyard soil upon moving, hence the herbs and spices that flavor her salts.
“The first time I put my hand in my own dirt and started to grow, I knew I made the right choice. I got my hands in the dirt here and I said ‘this is it!’ I guess my a-ha moment was ‘I can do anything.’”
Starting up a salt operation requires tremendous research. In addition to technical planning, anticipating environmental challenges, and YouTube tutorial binging, Heidi also delved deeply into Martha’s Vineyard history. Judging by the animated way Heidi speaks about it, this research was likely not a chore for her.
“During the British blockade was the first wave of salt makers on MV,” Heidi reports to a new wave of captivated customers, “because the settlers were like ‘uh-oh! We have nothing to cure our meats and tan our hides with.’ They had to get smart fast and started making salt on the shore.”
Eventually, Western New York mines became the primary source for salt throughout much of the northeast, thus “killing” the island’s salt production, Heidi says. Consequently, she was eager to revive an island-based sea salt company.
We’re Going to Need a Bigger Tote
A passerby inquires about the salt making process. Heidi produces her cash box with a floral-patterned sticker of the island.
“We go here,” she begins, pointing to the approximate Katama region on the southeast portion of the decoration, “and then we get water, about 1,000 gallons every time. We have my husband on shore, I’m up on the truck,” she gestures above her head, “then we put our 21-year-old neighbor in the water. We look for sharks and he holds the intake totes at about 15 feet deep, because you want to get the coldest water possible for the biggest crystal.”
The collected water is later filtered from the tanks to omit any sand, shrimp, or algae.
“Then we let the sun dry it!” Heidi beams, mentioning her farm’s 100-foot solar evaporator. “And we harvest it by shaking the underline, scooping it, putting it into food-safe totes, then do a little cleanup. There we go! That’s our salty process.”
While Heidi’s description is playful, many aspects of salt production are demanding, especially when meeting her unwavering sustainability standards.
“Keep the process as natural as possible. Reduce carbon footprint as much as possible.” She asserts. “It means you’re relying much more heavily on the human element in terms of labor. It’s much easier to throw ten gallons of water in a pot and walk away. But to actually physically harvest dried salt that the sun has dried for you?” Heidi nods emphatically. “That’s heavy shit!”
Most New England and Meditteranean salt companies use a similar sundried method to MV Sea Salt, but many others boil using either electricity or propane. Heidi notes that the carbon footprint is “massive” when those salt producers use fossil fuels to evaporate water. She concedes that she and Curtis must drive a diesel truck 15 miles to the water to collect, but argues that making the trek eight to ten times a year creates a much smaller footprint.
(Na)ughty by Nature
Perhaps one reason why Martha’s Vineyard Sea Salt is so effectively executed is because Heidi’s resume is brimming with diverse experiences. From working in tech to volunteering, to bartending, to being a personal vehicle driver for UPS (among many other jobs), Heidi is not just open to new experiences. “Open” suggests passivity and Heidi seems to be no spectator when learning. She dives in. Quick to dismiss “systems that are made up in business schools and on boards,” she proudly admits “This corporate game thing? Not for me. I didn’t learn all the rules, I don’t want to learn all the rules.” This sense of rule breaking is tangible in the salt, which might prompt customers to use it adventurously and playfully in their food.
“I hope it inspires them to try it on dishes they’ve never tried before. And that’s why we put a lot of effort into writing what goes on the back.” Heidi explains, pointing to the labels.
“New potatoes, corn on the cob...if you haven’t had new potatoes, go find them at your market! ‘Fish, what? Salt on fish? I’ve never thought about that, that comes from the ocean, why would I put salt on it?’ So try to inspire ideas for things they haven’t eaten before.”
The market winds down and Heidi discloses that her introverted exhaustion has begun to take hold. Understandably so, as she spent the past three hours engaging customers in dynamic conversation. She clarifies that, despite the tiredness, she doesn’t feel totally drained. After all, she remarks, she gets to rave about what fulfills her. It would seem that the ethos of a sustainable business can translate to well-maintained happiness.
Whether Heidi was drawn in by the ruggedness of the Vineyard or the island brought this trait out of her is unclear. Regardless, her current routine and approach to the business are the epitome of self-reliance. She seems to acknowledge and relish this truth.
“Do what you feel good about, I guess that’s my revelation. Do your very best to not bend your willpower. That’s me, ‘cause I’m all in.”
Want to get salty? You can find Heidi at the West Tisbury Farmers Market Wednesdays and Saturdays from 9am-12pm, check her products out at many local stores on the island, or visit MV Sea Salt online.
