Sea Salt Evaporator Facility at Full Production Capacity

Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts Curtis Friedman of Down Island Farm and producer of Martha's Vineyard Sea Salt (TM) announced the completion of the highly anticipated large-scale, completely off-grid saltwater evaporator in Vineyard Haven. The new evaporator, at capacity, will be filled with up to 1,000 gallons - a quantity that far exceeds the prototype evaporator capacity of 150 gallons. With partner and wife, Heidi Feldman, Curtis expects the evaporator to produce harvests of premium MV Sea Salt every two to 10 weeks depending on the season. Martha's Vineyard Sea Salt (TM) is the first sea salt to be produced in over 180 years on the island of Marthas Vineyard. Located a 45-minute ferry ride from mainland Massachusetts, Martha's Vineyard became a hub for sea salt production beginning in the late 1600s due to British hostilities and the resulting blockade of sea salt from the Mediterranean and Caribbean. The blockades resulted in food shortages, the inability to cure sheep pelts - the Island's main industry, and settlers suffered without sea salt that provided natural minerals to their diets and tastiness to their otherwise bland food. In an effort to bring to market a sustainable, shelf stable,and commonly used farm product that maximizes the potential of their non-fertile soils, Feldman stumbled on the idea of sea salt while consuming a bags of sea salt and vinegar potato chips. Three years of investigation, testing and state and local permitting, Martha's Vineyard Sea Salt came to market in May 2013, and immediately sold out. "The new evaporator is a dream come true," said Feldman recently, "... now we can meet the needs of our community and visitors alike." For more information on where to buy Martha's Vineyard Sea Salt, contact Feldman via downislandfarm@gmail.com.