Why Is Martha’s Vineyard Going Vegan? It’s All About Tick Bites.
New York Times, Aug. 12, 2025
By Pete Wells
A former restaurant critic for The Times, Pete Wells followed tick-safety protocol while reporting this article on Martha’s Vineyard by tucking his pants into his socks.
On Martha’s Vineyard, this was supposed to be the summer of the shark. Instead, it’s the time of the tick.
The Massachusetts island is throwing a months long party for the 50th birthday of “Jaws,” with tours of locations where the movie was filmed, a museum show, grinning-shark cashmere sweaters and a commemorative kale salad featuring turnips carved in the shape of sharks’ teeth.
As the season has gone on, though, great white sharks have been replaced as the Vineyard’s scariest animal. When islanders get together these days, they talk about their fears of an eight-legged creature the size of a grape seed.
On the porch of the Chilmark General Store and at sunset-watching parties on Menemsha Beach, conversations circle ineluctably to the lone star tick, which after a single bite can leave people with a life-threatening allergy to most meat and dairy.
Known as alpha-gal syndrome, the condition is changing the way many people shop, cook and eat in a place long known as a food-lover’s retreat for its thriving independent farms and restaurants. These new habits may prove to be lasting, as some islanders who initially avoided beef and cheese temporarily, out of necessity, later give them up for good out of preference.
“It’s sort of supersized vegetarianism,” said Rebecca Miller, a farm owner who has the syndrome herself.
Last year, out of 1,254 tests for the allergy, 523 came back positive, according to laboratory data from Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. This was a stunningly fast rise from 2020, when only two out of nine tests were positive.
“Alpha-gal cases are skyrocketing across the island,” said Patrick Roden-Reynolds, a state-funded biologist who leads the tick safety programs on Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. He has spent much of the past few summers counting ticks in yards and teaching people to cut down on the risk of bites by, for instance, wearing clothing treated with repellent.
Residents have told him that worries about alpha-gal syndrome keep them from hiking, gardening and going to the beach. A few said they were moving off the island entirely, and while ticks aren’t the only reason, they are definitely in the mix.
“There are a lot of angry people, a lot of stressed-out people and a lot of fearful people,” Mr. Roden-Reynolds said.
Over the past three decades, alpha-gal syndrome has taken hold in a wide band of the United States from Oklahoma to Long Island, changing the lives and diets of people who come down with it. Its arrival on Martha’s Vineyard has been especially dramatic in part because its spread has been so quick, and in part because people come here to unwind in nature, not to hide from it.
The acres of undeveloped woods and waving grasses that make the island so alluring to celebrities and vacationers are also deeply attractive to deer and the ticks that feed and breed on them.
A population that was already wary of deer ticks, which can carry Lyme disease, reacted quickly to the ascent of a new species. First spotted on the island in 1985 but seen in significant numbers only in the past few years, the lone star tick has become that scourge of beach communities everywhere: the uninvited guest who won’t leave.
After a walk in the woods three summers ago, Nina Levin noticed that the screen on her phone appeared to be moving. It was, in fact, covered with tiny lone star ticks. So was she.
Her walk had brought her into contact with a teeming cluster of crawling, biting arachnids known as a tick bomb. A few hours later, after she ate red meat for dinner, her stomach was in knots with what felt like food poisoning. A test confirmed that she had developed antibodies to the sugar molecule galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose, familiarly known as alpha-gal and found in almost all mammals.
Her symptoms (“wildly unpleasant”) stayed away if she simply avoided red meat until a few months ago, when she was bitten by lone star ticks again. Now, she reacts to milk, cheese and other dairy products, too. This is particularly challenging for Ms. Levin because she is the owner and chef of a mobile pizza oven and a dessert trailer known for buttery pastries and soft-serve ice cream.
“I’m not a big red-meat eater,” she said. “But the dairy is, like, tragic.” This summer she is selling a new vegan cruller made with coconut oil, a recipe she came up with at least partly so she could eat one of her own pastries again.
Islanders who come down with alpha-gal syndrome discover that it is much easier to find help here than it would be in many places on the mainland. There is an alpha-gal support group, alpha-gal seminars and spontaneous alpha-gal convocations in the checkout aisle.
“I was standing at the grocery store shortly after I got it, and four out of five people standing in line had it,” said Cassie Courtney, a Chilmark resident who has lived with the syndrome for two years. “We were all looking at each other’s carts asking, ‘What are you eating?’ ”
Some restaurants, like the takeout window at Menemsha Galley, hand out a list of alpha-gal-safe menu items. Nightly specials at Mo’s Lunch, a counter-service restaurant inside the Portuguese American Club in Oak Bluffs, are either vegan and dairy-free or can easily be modified, a direct response to the rise of alpha-gal, said Maura Martin, an owner and chef.
The rustic roadside market at North Tabor Farm, in Chilmark, now refrigerates plant-based butters, sausages and cheeses on their own shelf behind a slate sign reading “alpha gal friendly.” The farm’s prepared foods have changed, too.
“This year, the stuff we cook or create in our kitchen has been 100 percent vegetarian,” said Ms. Miller, an owner of the farm. “And a high percentage of it is vegan, too, just because there are so many people” with alpha-gal.
For people with extreme sensitivity to the alpha-gal molecule, watching what they eat is not enough. They also have to watch where they stand. One local man lost consciousness at a recent cookout after inhaling the smoke from burgers on the grill at a cookout, according to Josh Levy, a dietitian in Edgartown who now advises him.
Other patients have reported allergic reactions to brands of bottled water and white sugar that are processed using animal-bone char.
Both the troublemaking foods and the symptoms they induce — cramps, diarrhea, hives, swelling, asthma and, in extreme cases, anaphylactic shock — vary widely from one person to to the next.
“The hallmark of alpha-gal is that the reactions are consistently inconsistent,” Mr. Roden-Reynolds said.
Some patients find that their sensitivity clears up within six to 12 months. For others, it can linger, though exactly how long is one of many unknowns in the relatively young field of alpha-gal science. A number of people aren’t quite sure whether they have gotten over it or not because they’ve simply stopped eating meat and dairy.
“Some people say it’s the best thing that’s ever happened, and they’ll never go back,” even if their sensitivity vanishes, said Mr. Levy, the dietitian.
Whether temporary or not, the vegan boom has inspired some grocers to seek out more plant-based ice creams, cheeses and other products.
“They’re selling like crazy,” said Rosemarie Willett, who owns North Tisbury Farm & Market. Several times a day, customers who are loading up their grocery baskets break into impromptu conversations about life without meat and dairy.
“I feel left out at this point that I don’t have alpha-gal,” Ms. Willett said.
Corn & Basil Cakes
- ½ cup white whole-wheat flour or all-purpose flour
- ½ cup low-fat milk
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 2 cups fresh corn kernels or frozen
- ½ cup chopped fresh basil
- Whisk flour, milk, eggs, 1 tablespoon oil, baking powder, salt and pepper in a medium bowl until smooth. Stir in corn and basil.
- Brush a large nonstick skillet lightly with some of the remaining 1 tablespoon oil; heat over medium heat until hot (but not smoking).
- Cook 4 cakes at a time, using about ¼ cup batter for each, making them about 3 inches wide. Cook until the edges are dry, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook until golden brown on the other side, 1 to 3 minutes more.
- Repeat with the remaining oil and batter, making 10 cakes total. Reduce the heat as necessary to prevent burning.
Sesame-Shiitake Bok Choy
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 T fresh ginger, diced into small pieces
- 1 2-pound head bok choy, trimmed and thinly sliced
- 4 cups sliced shiitake mushroom caps, (9 ounces with stems)
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add garlic and ginger, cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant but not browned, 30 seconds.
- Add bok choy and mushrooms; cook, stirring, until wilted, about 2 minutes.
- Continue cooking, stirring often, until just tender, 3-5 minutes more.
- Stir in rice wine vinegar, sesame oil and salt.
- Garnish with sesame seeds.
Fig & Goat Cheese Salad
- 4 cups mixed salad greens
- 6 dried figs, stemmed and sliced (dried apricots can also be used)
- 2 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled
- 3 tablespoons slivered almonds, preferably toasted
- 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- Pinch of salt
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- Combine greens, figs, goat cheese and almonds in a medium bowl. Stir together oil, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper.
- Just before serving, drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss.
Parmesan Broccoli Bites
- Olive oil or canola oil cooking spray
- 1 pound broccoli crowns, trimmed
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 tablespoon reduced-fat milk
- 1¼ cups almond flour or almond meal
- ⅔ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ¾ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
- Cut broccoli into florets and peel the stems. Toss with cornstarch in a large bowl.
- Whisk eggs and milk in a shallow dish. Whisk almond flour (or meal), Parmesan, paprika, baking powder, salt, pepper and cayenne (if using) in another shallow dish.
- Dip a few pieces of broccoli at a time in the egg mixture, allowing excess to drip off, then dredge in the flour mixture, tapping off any excess.
- Transfer the broccoli to the prepared baking sheet. Generously coat with cooking spray.
- Bake the broccoli, without turning, until golden brown and tender-crisp, 25 to 30 minutes.
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Spinach Salad with Japanese Ginger Dressing
- 3 tablespoons minced onion
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
- 1½ tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon roasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
- ¼ teaspoon minced garlic
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 1 large carrot, grated
- 1 medium red bell pepper, very thinly sliced
- 10 ounces fresh spinach
- Combine onion, oil, vinegar, ginger, sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, salt and pepper in a blender. Process until combined.
- Toss spinach, carrot and bell pepper with the dressing in a large bowl until evenly coated.
Skillet Apple Chicken Thighs
- 1½ tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 4 (4-oz.) skinless, boneless chicken thighs
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, divided (use light salt to further reduce sodium content)
- ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
- ½ cup unsalted chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
- 1½ teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 2 medium apples, thinly sliced
- 1 small red onion, thinly vertically sliced
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1½ teaspoons oil to pan; swirl to coat. Sprinkle chicken evenly with ¼ teaspoon salt and ⅜ teaspoon pepper. Add chicken to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until chicken is done. Remove from pan.
- Combine stock and mustard, stirring with a whisk. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl. Add remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, remaining ⅜ teaspoon pepper, sage, rosemary, apple, and onion to pan; cook 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in stock mixture. Return chicken to pan; cook 3 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half.
Butternut Squash (or Sweet Potato) and White Bean Soup
- 2 pounds sweet potatoes (peeled) or butternut squash, cut lengthwise into 2” cubes
- 1 cup chopped red onion
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
- 2T olive oil
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 2.5 cups unsalted chicken stock
- 1 15oz. can canned unsalted cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt (use light salt to decrease the sodium content)
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
- 1 cup diced apple
- ¼ cup plain 2% reduced-fat Greek yogurt
- Place potatoes or buttnernut squash and 1 cup stock in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook covered for 15 minutes, until soft. Add more stock if needed to avoid sticking. Remove once cooked.
- Place 2T olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, sage, and garlic; cook 7 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add 1.5 cups stock; bring to a simmer.
- Put potatoes (or squash), beans, milk, salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper in the Dutch oven, then puree with immersion blender. Once blended, cook 4 to 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
- Divide soup among 4 bowls; top each serving with ¼ cup apple and 1 tablespoon yogurt. Sprinkle evenly with remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper.
Grilled Chicken Taco Salad
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
- ¾ teaspoon salt, divided
- ¾ teaspoon ground pepper, divided
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- ¾ cup diced zucchini
- firm ripe avocado, diced
- ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion
- 1 jalapeno, minced (optional)
- 2 pounds skinless chicken breasts
- 1 large ear corn, husked
- 5 cups arugula (about 3 ounces)
- 1 cup coarsely broken tortilla chips
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- Preheat grill to medium-high.
- Combine lime juice, vinegar and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper in a large bowl; whisk in oil.
- Add tomatoes, zucchini, avocado, onion and jalapeno, if using; gently toss to coat. Set aside.
- Sprinkle chicken with the remaining ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Oil the grill rack. Grill the chicken until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 165 °F, 4 to 5 minutes per side.
- Grill corn until lightly charred on all sides, 2 to 4 minutes total. Transfer to a clean cutting board.
- Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces; cut corn kernels from the cob.
- Add the chicken and corn to the tomato mixture; stir in arugula, tortilla chips and cilantro and gently toss to combine.
