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Julia Poplawsky, Dai Due’s star butcher and an Eater Young Gun semifinalist last year, is leaving the shop this month. She will join nonprofit Urban Roots as an assistant farmer starting on Tuesday, January 12.
Poplawsky studied butchery with now-switcheroo’ed 4505 Meats in San Francisco. After some research, she found out about Dai Due during its farmer's market time, and staged with owner Jesse Griffiths. Then she joined the brick and mortar opening staff in spring 2014 before the August opening.
With the new position, she looks forward to focusing more on the community, food justice, and general local food systems. "I want to experience having a different conversation with food versus the everyday hustle of the restaurant," she told Eater, describing the job switch as having the "same beat, different dance." In her new position, she will work under Urban Roots farm director Lea Scott. She isn’t stepping away from butchery completely though—she will teach several Sustainable Food Center classes this winter.
