UK Dining partners with local farm for hogs

By Blake Jackson

The University of Kentucky Dining has unveiled a new collaboration with Cleav's Family Market, a local, sustainable farm specializing in naturally raised meats and produce. This partnership is set to make a significant economic impact of $10,000 per month during the FY24 academic year.

Facilitated through UK Dining and The Food Connection, which supports local food economies, Cleav's Family Market will provide monthly supplies of hogs from their network of producers in LaRue and Hart counties for the 2023-2024 academic year. The cooperative venture offers mutual benefits, bridging the gap between the university's demand for pork and the farm's production capacity.

Trackside Butcher Shoppe in Henry County will process the hogs, while Clem's Refrigerated Foods will handle middle meats like smoked pork for Kroger Field and UK residential dining halls. The remaining ground meats, used for sausage gravy blended with Kentucky milk and flour, will be delivered to UK Dining and other Kentucky Aramark accounts by Clem’s to Custom Food Solutions in Louisville.

Tyler Murray, UK's executive chef, emphasized the consistent supply of top-quality pork from Cleav's Family Market, highlighting the added value of it being locally produced in Kentucky.

This partnership underscores UK Dining's commitment to supporting the local farm and food business economy. Since Aramark assumed dining operations in 2014, they have invested over $18 million in Kentucky's local farm and food businesses. In FY23 alone, UK Dining purchased more than $1.2 million worth of Kentucky farm impact products, further strengthening their dedication to the state's agricultural community.

Photo Credit: university-of-kentucky