Six years ago Ryan Scanlon was a Vineyard teenager working summers at Alchemy restaurant in Edgartown. Now the 22-year-old chef is appearing on national television as a contestant on Next Level Chef.

The story of Vineyard food in 2024 was decidedly flaky. And a little bit fishy.

Baked goods bring the community together. That’s what Island baker Julia Blanter believes and how the first annual Great Martha’s Vineyard Bake-Off was born.

According to Joan Nathan and Ruth Reichl, the door to the world of food has opened much wider over the past several decades thanks in part to a more global outlook.

At a panel discussion Saturday titled A Sustainable Harvest: Past, Present, and Future, farmers, chefs and foodies spoke about the importance of biodiversity in everyday lives and culinary choices.