Modern craft butchers prioritize working directly with local, small-scale farmers who raise animals humanely and sustainably on pastures.
As cities grew rapidly during the 19th and 20th centuries, the traditional role of the neighborhood butcher underwent a massive transformation. Butchers
Transforming a massive whole or half-carcass into manageable "primal cuts" (like the chuck, rib, loin, and round). famously centralized in cities like Chicago.
The rise of massive rail networks and refrigerated boxcars led to the creation of massive meatpacking districts, famously centralized in cities like Chicago. Butchers