Meet Matt, the local butcher. When he’s not with his son, he spends his time high above the ground trimming trees, or in the back of the local market– serving up delicate cuts of meat, local news, advice on recipes, and often suggestions for a hike or swim.

Megunticook Market is Matt’s story, but it is also the story of a small town’s way of life. This is especially poignant for the young people who grew up here. I find while we often move away, we return again and again, to visit and to re-experience the neighborly way of life. More and more often, these people realize that this is what they were missing all along—and stay.