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Hickory Creek FCE 12-8
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Hickory Creek FCE met Nov. 2 for the monthly meeting at Warren County Administration Building. The meeting was called to order by President Vicki Gibbs, who welcomed guests Pam Duff and Carolyn Belcher. Chaplain Ann Whitman read “Run the Race” and Hebrews 12:1.
Secretary Phyllis Hillis was asked to call roll. The 14 members and guests answered with a favorite species of butterfly.  The minutes from the September meeting were read by Hillis with one correction. Minutes from the October meeting were read by Janis Darnaby and approved. Treasurer Marian Jacobs gave the financial report.  
Vice president Davis asked for member reports and demonstrations. Darnaby brought her finished snowman quilt and a frame decorated for Christmas. Brenda Clark showed a “Row Quilt” and an “On Point” she made in the quilting guild. Victoria Conley and Gibbs show painted rocks to be hidden around town, candle holders made out of bottles, and holiday ornaments and gift tags.   Gibbs brought the completed quilt top that was given to her by the club earlier in the year. Martha McBride had a Swedish weaving towel she had completed. Eleven members reported reading since the last meeting. 
Gibbs reported that 41 sani-panti packs were taken to Franklin County in October. McBride, Irene Fuston, Conley and Gibbs attended FCE craft fairs in Franklin County and Dunlap. The meal served at the Fall Planning was a success. The officers for 2018 will remain the same.  
There was a discussion on the final community projects for 2017.  It was decided to table until December meeting.  Santa’s Workshop County Council meeting was Dec. 4.  We provided brunch food, toys for the Rescue Squad toy drive, and food for the Warren County Food Bank.  Our annual Christmas dinner and party was held on Dec. 7 in Tullahoma.  The amount for the gift swap is $25. 
The State Conference was held in Knoxville, with members Clark, Darnaby and Jacobs attending. The club received a thank you card from agent Hilda Lytle. Oncoming events to remember include “Dine in Day” online sign up. Crafting Then and Now will start on Jan. 2. Remember to continue logging CVU’s, hours spent on state projects and collecting drink can taps for the state project. 
Our December meeting  consisted of a fun trip to Tullahoma. Members enjoyed lunch and a cake made by Janis Darnaby to celebrate the birthdays of Phyllis Hillis, Victoria Conley and Ann Whitman.

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