It is late August, often a season of molds and weeds on Martha’s Vineyard farms.

Every farmer has a favorite crop. Some are reluctant to name just one, like a mother who does not want to play favorites.

With the Agricultural Fair beginning on Thursday, it’s another busy week ahead for Island farmers.

The other day I called Julie Scott, the farm manager at Slough Farm in Edgartown, and caught her just as she was about to get into a truck with a sheep in the back of it.

Every other morning, I begin my day harvesting flowers, working alongside my friend Lucy Leopold.

A farmer’s entire success depends on many factors, but always starts with one thing: our dirt.