Our Story

Harvest Maine is a product of evolution within Maine's local food ecosystem. As owner of Gather Restaurant, Matt Chappell was committed to working with local food producers. In 2011, he met Ben Slayton of Farmers' Gate, a locally sourced whole animal butcher shop. Over a decade of weekly deliveries and many conversations about food and food system dynamics, Matt and Ben began to wonder if there might be an opportunity to work together.

Each coming to the table with many existing farm and food relationships and both sharing a passion for getting their snack on, Matt and Ben began recipe testing in early 2022. The search was on for a product that could use up items within the food system that were falling through the cracks. Misshapen, or otherwise unwanted vegetables became the first target with the 2022 launch of 3 veggie spreads: Broccomole, Celery Root/Red Pepper, and Beet/Carrot. Then in 2024, came a new Fruit Snack product called Pummies, which relies on the byproduct of cider pressing. Our goal is healthy snacking that creates greater opportunities for hard working farmers and also addresses some of the food waste that is cutting into the efficiency of our food system.

Snack More; Waste Less

-Ben & Matt