“We don’t see as much agriculture here as you would in a different part of the country,” Sean Stanton explained; as a result, “you end up with people wondering why the cows are outside in the snow and not understanding how their systems work.”
In the last few years, Stanton has guided the selectboard through the sale of the old Castle Street firehouse, the reconstruction of Main Street, and the approval for the conversion of the former Searles High School to an upscale 88-room hotel on Bridge Street.
Chef and owner Christophe Jalbert places a high premium on local ingredients on his menus. In a short time that he has owned the former Route 7 Grill, Jalbert not only developed solid relationships with 40 or more farmers in the area, but the people who come to his restaurants expect locally grown food prepared to show off its high quality.
