Civil Eats

When Brandon Sheard brings his knife across the throat of a sheep, his movements are swift and precise.  The sheep, lying calmly on her side in the pasture on which she has lived her whole life, gently closes her eyes.  Brandon rests his hand on her throat and offers a prayer of gratitude to affirm the sacrifice of her life.

Brandon and his wife Lauren are the proprietors of Farmstead Meatsmith, a small business on Vashon Island, WA, that provides the services of slaughter, butchery, and charcuterie to small farmers in the Puget Sound region, as well as classes in slaughter and butchery. Read More

According to cable TV, being a chef is pretty much the most badass profession out there. Not only are the physical trappings evidence of badassery – neck tattoos, devil-may-care hairdos – but there’s also lots of yelling, throwing stuff around, and general tough non-conformism. In the midst of the hard stares and big attitudes of the bad boy chefs, we’ve lost track of the true hardcore food professions – real culinary badasses. Read More