EKU agriculture provide produce and meat to local eateries

Shopping local is encouraged around campus, especially when it comes to food. The EKU Department of Agriculture started a program in 2015 that allowed them to provide local produce to Café Burrier, their local farmer’s market, faculty regents meetings and Sonny’s BBQ.

John Settimi, chair of the EKU Agricultural Department, said that even though the Department of Agriculture has been around since the early 1900s, the program in which they provide fresh produce to Café Burrier has only been around for a year.

Settimi said the faculty saw that the want for local food is a growing trend, and they want to expand the area as much as possible. However, it is difficult since only one faculty member, Cody Domenghini, is in charge of the program.

“We’re getting off the ground,” Settimi said. “We are experiencing growth.”

Café Burrier, which is only open during the fall semester, receives fruits and vegetables from the six acre horticultural farm on campus. According to Settimi, it is the only place on campus to receive products directly from the Department of Agriculture. Settimi said he hopes the department expands with this program by signing with Aramark, the company currently in charge of food and beverages in Powell, or whichever company that will contract with EKU in the future.

The department plans to expand the farm on campus, Settimi said. The plan is to be able to set up a store and sell produce. The department is also working with dietetics and culinary majors to potentially set up a restaurant. Settimi said he wants to continue raising people’s awareness to local foods.

Aside from Café Burrier, the department also hosts a local farmer’s market on campus. Settimi said he does this so the Department of Agriculture students can learn more about the marketing and business aspect of agriculture. He said they sell products at market rates and in small quantities.

“We’re not here to compete with local producers,” said Settimi.

Additionally, Settimi said the animal science program provides pork for faculty regents meetings and other special events. Further off campus, the department also provides pork for Sonny’s BBQ. Sonny’s BBQ will occasionally have an EKU night where the department will provide them with meat from their 720 acre farm in Waco; a farm that houses pigs, chickens and cows, Settimi said.

Sonny’s BBQ is the only place off campus that receives meat directly from the department, Settimi said.

According to Settimi, Mad Scoops, an ice cream shop near campus, also receive dairy products from EKU’s Department of Agriculture. The ice cream store doesn’t receive the milk directly from EKU, but from another distributor that sells Mad Scoops dairy products from the department’s farm.

Settimi said they plan to continue working and expanding their programs to provide more local food, but the main focus of the department is to help students gain more experience.

“[We plan to] try to increase production and open more doors,” Settimi said.

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Published on April 07, 2016