Lexington, KY – The University of Kentucky and Aramark have launched a $5 million partnership aimed at supporting Kentucky’s local food economy.
The Food Connection at the University of Kentucky will partner with the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, along with Kentucky farmers, community partners and consumers, to enhance the production, distribution and consumption of local and Kentucky Proud products. The $5 million investment from Aramark includes $1 million to endow undergraduate and graduate internships and fellowships and $250,000 for start-up equipment costs and programmatic needs, along with $250,000 annually for 15 years to fund staff, programming, research grants and other initiatives.
"This is an unprecedented public-private partnership and potentially a national model for the study and promotion of food in the commonwealth," said UK President Eli Capilouto in a media release announcing the new initiative.
Specifically, the Food Connection partnership will include: a faculty director and executive director to guide and implement programming, such as an annual Kentucky food summit; internships and fellowships in food innovation, dietetics and wellness for graduate and undergraduate students; food innovation seed grants for faculty research; and collaborations with UK’s Butcher Shop, Lemon Tree Restaurant and Food Systems Innovation Center.
The Food Connection initiative follows the launch of a 15-year, $245 million partnership between UK and Aramark for dining services at the university. That partnership includes more than $70 million in facilities investments.
The new Food Connection partnership will operate through UK’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environment and eventually will be housed in a new dining and student support facility that is scheduled for groundbreaking later this month.