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Concerned citizens organize biosolids meeting
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A local group of concerned citizens are meeting to learn more about the usage of biosolid fertilizers within Van Buren, Warren and surrounding counties. Biosolid fertilizer is a by-product of sewage treatment facilities and has been used locally, at no cost to farmers, for several years.

The smell and concerns for public safety have brought a group of locals together on Facebook. The online group was started on March 1 and has quickly grown to over 100 members. The Facebook group, “Stop the Stink,” was started after several local citizens looked further into what they describe as the “horrendous stench” in their neighborhood. Further questions developed when residents learned of the potential biological hazards surrounding the use of biosolids. 

As information was compiled, members realized quickly that there was a need to gather and share what they’ve learned. Additionally, state, local and national officials and experts in the field have agreed to attend and address questions. To that end, a meeting has been scheduled. The meeting will be on April 28th, at 5 p.m., in the UT Extension Services building at: 288 Spring Street in Spencer. 

The meeting has been coordinated by Spencer resident Leo Sochocki who will moderate the event. Guest speakers currently include.

• Robert Becker, Regional Director of External Affairs, TDEC

• Bob O’Dette, Environmental Protection Specialist 5, TDEC

• Anastasia Sharp, Environmental Protection Specialist II, TDEC

• Karen Styers, Biosolids Distribution Coordinator for the City of Chattanooga

• Jacob McCrary, Operations Director, Moccasin Bend Treatment Facility

• Chris Binkley, UT Extension Office, Director for Van Buren County

• Scott Banbury, Tennessee Representative for The Sierra Club

• David Sullivan, Mayor of Van Buren County


The meeting is scheduled to be a two-hour event. Citizens that have questions about the use of biosolid fertilizer are asked to submit them to Mr. Sochocki at email:  lazrslong@gmail.com

Local farm partnership brings fresh beef to Warren County Schools
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Warren County Schools has beefed up lunch menus this school year through a new community partnership. Thanks to a collaboration between the district’s School Nutrition Department and Barton Creek Farms, students at Warren County High School, Warren County Middle School, West Elementary, Eastside Elementary, and Dibrell Elementary are enjoying locally sourced, farm-fresh beef in their lunches as part of a pilot program.

The initiative, spearheaded by Terri Mullican, Director of School Nutrition, has already shown great promise in its first few months. The partnership with Barton Creek Farms, located in Rock Island, Tennessee, ensures that the beef served is not only local to Warren County but of the highest quality. Barton Creek Farms specializes in farm-to-fork beef, with grass-fed and grain-finished cattle. Each calf is born and raised in Rock Island and goes through USDA-inspected processing, ensuring it meets the strictest safety and quality standards.

“When the opportunity arose to provide fresh, local beef, we knew it was a no-brainer,” Mullican said. “The fact that it’s a product from right here in our community makes it even more special. We can’t wait to implement it district-wide.”

Barton Creek Farms delivers fresh ground beef to the district monthly, and the nutrition

department incorporates it into homemade recipes such as lasagna, meatloaf, chili, and tacos.

As of now, the beef is being served at five schools, but the ultimate goal is to expand the program to all ten lunch-serving schools in the district.

The pilot program originated from a conversation between Mary Roller of Barton Creek Farms and Mullican. Roller, recognizing the farm’s potential to support local schools, reached out to gauge the district’s interest in serving local beef to students. Around the same time, a Warren County school board member contacted Mullican to share information about a similar partnership in neighboring Dekalb County, which helped push the initiative forward.

The timing worked in the district’s favor, as the nutrition department was able to fund the purchase of the beef using existing resources, eliminating the need for additional funding. Now that the pilot program is enjoying a successful run, the department has budgeted to extend the partnership district-wide for the 2025-26 school year.

Dr. Grant Swallows, Director of Schools, praised the program’s economic approach to student nutrition.

“This pilot is a perfect example of how we can use local resources to continue providing nutritious, healthy meals for our students,” he said. “We are grateful for partnerships like this one that benefit both our students and our local community. We always strive to support our local businesses when we can because our community is so good to us.”

In addition to working with Warren County Schools, Barton Creek Farms also partners with local restaurants to offer farm-fresh beef on their menus. The farm’s offerings include ground beef, steaks, roasts, and custom cuts by the quarter, half, or whole cow, meeting diverse consumer needs.

As the program continues to grow, the district hopes to expand its focus on farm-to-school meals, benefiting students’ health and connecting them to the agricultural roots of the community