We understand that the Chapter 11 process has caused confusion and concern throughout our community. Some people have wondered whether AW Meat House is open, whether we will continue processing animals or whether customers could lose access to products entrusted to our care.

We want to answer the most important question clearly:

AW Meat House is open and conducting business six days a week. During deer season, we are available 24 hours a day for deer check-in.

AW Land & Cattle has completed the required bidder documentation and documented the financial capacity necessary to qualify for a stalking horse bid under the process established with Peoples Bank and the Bankruptcy Court.

The court-supervised process is continuing, and final outcomes remain subject to that process. However, AW has taken substantial, concrete steps toward keeping this business locally operated and serving the community for years to come.

What Customers Need to Know

Customers may continue bringing animals for processing, placing orders and picking up completed products as usual.

The animals and products entrusted to us are not an afterthought. Protecting them, properly identifying them and returning completed products to their owners remain among our most important responsibilities.

We are still located in the same building, on the same road, providing the high-quality products, specialty cuts and personal service our customers expect.

AW is not a national chain or big-box retailer. We are a small, local processor offering traceable products, personalized service and the ability to work directly with customers, farmers and hunters. Those services come with costs that national retailers do not carry in the same way. While we cannot always compete with mass-market pricing, we remain committed to fair pricing, high standards and providing value that cannot be found in a supermarket meat case.

Using This Process to Become Better

Chapter 11 has forced us to examine who we are, how we operate, what needs to change and how AW can become stronger.

The process has not been painless. It has, however, led to better planning, stronger financial and operational oversight and a renewed commitment to transparency and accountability.

We are not interested in returning to “the way things have always been done.” We are building a company that plans ahead, adapts to changing needs and actively works to strengthen the community it serves.

Hunters for the Hungry and Doe Down

AW Meat House is proud to work with Hunters for the Hungry to help provide locally harvested meat to people experiencing food insecurity.

We are also developing Doe Down, a team-based community event connected to the additional antlerless harvest opportunities available under applicable Kentucky hunting regulations. Our goals are to support responsible wildlife management, bring hunters and sponsors together, make the season more fun and provide additional meat to local families.

Businesses and individuals may participate by sponsoring prizes, joining a team or helping support processing and distribution costs.

Please contact us before bringing meat or animals intended for donation so we can help identify the appropriate, lawful and safe processing and distribution option.

Rooted in Good

Hunters for the Hungry helped us think differently about food insecurity and about the role AW can play in meeting local needs.

We have begun forming Rooted in Good, a nonprofit initiative intended to serve as a community-service and charitable partner for projects involving food access, people, animals, agriculture and the Appalachian communities we call home.

Rooted in Good is being created to help connect local resources with local needs, build partnerships and develop sustainable programs that make high-quality food more accessible.

Anyone interested in learning more, volunteering, becoming a community partner or supporting future programs may contact:

Brittany Bindon
BBindon@SummitImpactKY.com

Feud for Good—Memorial Day Weekend 2027

Rooted in Good is also developing Feud for Good, a new Memorial Day weekend event inspired by Appalachia’s famous family feuds—but reimagined as friendly competition for a good cause.

Current plans include a barbecue competition, food trucks, family activities and entertaining “feuds” that allow attendees to help choose the day’s winners.

The event will raise awareness and funding for Rooted in Good and other participating charitable organizations. We hope Feud for Good will become an annual Appalachian tradition celebrating the end of the school year, the beginning of summer and everything our communities can accomplish when we work together.

More information about sponsorships, participating organizations, vendors and competitions will be announced as planning continues.

More Plans Are Already Underway

AW is working on several additional programs, including:

• Expanded fresh pet-food offerings and community programs
• Additional options for customers managing Alpha-Gal-related dietary restrictions
• New food-donation and food-access partnerships
• Educational opportunities involving food processing, agriculture and responsible sourcing
• Additional community events and charitable collaborations

Because individual Alpha-Gal sensitivities and cross-contact concerns vary, customers should speak directly with us about their needs and determine whether a particular product or process is appropriate for them.

Thank You for Standing With Us

When this process began, we genuinely feared that AW Meat House might close. A dedicated group of people stepped forward to help us find another path.

Because of their work—and because customers, farmers, hunters and community members continued to support us—we now have an opportunity to restructure, rebuild and become a better business.

We do not take that opportunity for granted.

Our commitment is to demonstrate our progress through our actions: better planning, stronger systems, responsible financial management, transparent communication and meaningful service to the community.

AW Meat House is open. We are processing animals. We are accepting deer. We are serving customers. And we are building a stronger future right here in Appalachia.