New Main Street Deli brings fresh, local flavor to Stockbridge.
Lyla Thomas, Reporter
Downtown now has a new spot for fresh, locally sourced food. A chef with deep local roots has opened a deli on Main Street, aiming to bring both quality meals and a sense of community to the area.
Brandon Devine, who has run restaurants and food trucks in seven states, said he jumped on the opportunity as soon as the space became available.
“We’d been looking for a spot for about three years. When this spa ce became available, we jumped on it,” he said. “Even before we had a house here, we rented it. It just felt like the perfect place.”
Devine grew up on Territorial Road, where his father worked as a builder and contractor.
“My dad had a contract in this area and built lots of homes about twenty years ago,”Devine said
After living in Arizona and traveling for work, including places like Puerto Rico and at major resorts, he said returning to the area felt like coming full circle.
Devine said the deli is meant to be more than just a place to eat.
“Our goal from the start was 100 percent to bring all the amazing foods and ingredients I’ve found all over the country right here,” he said. “And to create sustainable jobs for people who are interested in working in food and art.”
In a town with few healthy dining choices, the deli stands out. The menu features locally sourced ingredients, including brisket from a Michigan farm the owner has partnered with for more than five years.
“My favorite thing we serve is our brisket,” he said. “It’s some of the best I’ve ever had.”
Another popular option is a sandwich with pepperoni, mozzarella, spinach, and marinated tomatoes, Devine said it’s “like a pizza.”
Looking ahead, Devine hopes to expand his vision with a full sit-down barbecue restaurant in Stockbridge, continuing the focus on quality ingredients and community connections.
The Deli on Main is supplying Stockbridge with homemade lemonade, homegrown vegetables, richly made honey, and a make-it-your-own coffee bar.” I love it, it’s delicious,” Senior Melina Sayre.
Photos Lyla Thomas
FFA students learn, serve, and grow through hands-on projects
Ellie Creps, Reporter
Inside room 204, the sounds of student voices mix with the gentle hum of an aquaponic tank and in the summer when the doors are open the soft sounds of pigs rustling and chickens clucking . From caring for pigs to sharing fresh eggs, members of the FFA are living out their motto every day: “Learning to Do, Doing to Learn, Earning to Live, Living to Serve.”
FFA Adviser Robert Richards, who took over the program four years ago, said his goal has been to make agriculture class hands-on and meaningful.
“The reason I do all of the projects is a lot of students learn better if it’s a hands-on project, as opposed to reading about it,” Richards said.
That spirit of “doing to learn” is visible in every part of the program. Junior Will Gancer and his classmates gathered dozens of eggs from the chickens they’ve raised. Instead of selling them, they chose to give them to local families.
“It’s good to give back to the community that supports us so much, and really, it’s a blessing that we have so many, so we are grateful that we can give this many away,” Gancer said.
Through projects like this, students practice “living to serve,” one of the central pillars of the FFA creed.
Beyond community service, FFA students are gaining real-world agricultural experience. Junior Laura Humrich helps care for two feeder pigs named Cookie and Nugget. With help from the veterinary science program the students now know how to care for the pigs to their full potential, so not only the students thrive but the pigs as well.
“They’re gonna get taken and butchered in December,” Humrich said. “They are about 250 pounds right now. They were 50 pounds when we first got them.”
The lessons in animal care, feeding, and responsibility demonstrate “learning to do,” which is a key part of FFA’s mission to prepare students for agricultural careers.
Inside the greenhouse, eighth grader Isabella Quinn helps maintain a bluegill aquaponic system where plants and fish support each other in a sustainable cycle.
“What we are doing with the bluegill is they’re in an aquaponic tank, and the fish, whenever they poop, it acts as a fertilizer for the plants, and it’s helping the plants act as a natural filter that helps clean the water for the fish,” Quinn said.
While finding joy in the classroom, FFA students also find joy in sharing their accomplishments and brightening teachers’ days. Freshman Claire Smith helps harvest flowers grown in the greenhouse and turns them into bouquets for teachers.
“Each year FFA harvests the flowers out of the greenhouse and then we bring them inside and make bouquets with all of the other people in the class, and then we walk around the school and hand them out to the teachers,” Smith said.
That act of kindness shows that FFA is not just about farming, it is about growing character, responsibility, and gratitude.
From bluegills to bouquets, the Stockbridge FFA chapter embodies the words of its motto. Students are learning by doing, serving their community, and finding pride in hard work. In doing so, they are showing that agriculture is so much more than raising crops or animals. In FFA, they are teaching young men and women valuable life skills.
The FFA class has made a breakthrough with their large hoop house and supplies the school with leafy greens and juicy tomatoes.
Photos Infinity Bills
