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V O L . X X I N O. X I X A U G U S T 2 4 , 2 0 1 5 14 I n an eff ort to cut the distance from farm to fork, a vegetable farmer and a butcher shop owner decided to set up a year-round store selling fresh, local foods closer to the people who buy them. Now closing in on its fi rst anniversary, e Farm Stand in South Portland sits in a rejuvenating neighborhood once known for its strip mall and the heavy traffi c going to and from Portland over the "Million Dollar Bridge," which closed in 1997. " e Mill Creek area is in an upswing now," notes Penny Jordan, co-owner of e Farm Stand on Ocean Street along with butcher Ben Slayton and former Rosemont Market and Bakery manager Joe Fournier. Located in a former Zumba studio, and sharing space with Heirloom Consignment Maine, e Farm Stand is nestled among three other grocers: Hannaford Supermarkets, Shaw's and Legion Square Market. "People shop at multiple places," says Jordan, who is a fourth-generation farmer at Jordan's Farm in Cape Elizabeth. She says upwards of 130 customers come through her store daily. Jordan works on the farm as well as the store, which opened in August 2014 in 2,400 square feet of space. e shop aims to have hours similar to supermarkets, so it is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. from Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. through 6 p.m. on Sunday. P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY Taking a stand on local food P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY The Farm Stand in South Portland brought together a mix of seasoned businesspeople. The co-owners, left to right, are Ben Slayton of Farmers' Gate Market in Wales, Penny Jordan of Jordan's Farm in Cape Elizabeth and Joe Fournier, who formerly worked at Rosemont Market. In selling local greens and meats, The Farm Stand becomes part of a South Portland neighborhood's transition B y L o r i V a l i g r a

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