For Ben Slayton, the path to butchering went through Italy.
While the 40-year old was living on a farm there in 2007, he fell in love with the country’s fascination with food and its origins.
“They have this great tradition and history of how they go about getting their food,” said the 40-year old Yarmouth resident, who learned to butcher while working in the farm’s adjacent shop. “That overarching theme of appreciating food is still what I love about my job, but playing a vital role in helping Mainers access local agricultural products is what it’s really all about.”
Slayton, who is co-owner of The Farmstand in South Portland, while also working behind the meat counter, said the hardest part of his job is the logistics of keeping everything rotated correctly and in stock.
“We have 25 different farms we partner with, so making sure we have a flow of products on a 365-day cycle can be difficult.”
Send questions/comments to the editors.
