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Shining show
Marketville draws crowd at Blue Building
MGoatWEB
Elliott Sinks gets a smile petting a baby goat Saturday at Marketville.

You'd be surprised how many people let a ball python snake slither around their throat.
Kaylee Patterson was one of them.
"It doesn't bother me at all," said Patterson with the 2-year-old snake wrapped around her neck. "I think it's cute."
The snake was one of the many animals on hand Saturday for the Southern Standard's seventh annual Marketville. It was the second year for the event to be held at the Blue Building and Wow Country radio station.
Party Animals, a mobile petting zoo, brought a porcupine, goats, a silver fox and several other critters for guests to view and touch. When animals weren't the center of attention, the many classic cars on display were.
It was the first Marketville for Steve Tavolacci, formerly of Chicago. He moved to Warren County less than a year ago as a place to retire because he said it's gotten too hectic up north.
"For anyone who doesn't think this is a great place, go live in Illinois for a year," said Tavolacci. "You'll come back because of the beauty. I bought 18 acres here and I feel like I've bought a piece of heaven."
In relocating, Tavolacci said he identified places in Middle and East Tennessee where he wanted to live. After properties in Gatlinburg and Crossville didn't work out, he reached a deal for some rural land here.
Another Marketville highlight was a Mother's Day prize basket giveaway valued at over $500. Anna Maria Baus, who said she never wins anything, had her ticket drawn to become the lucky winner.
Marketville was also a shopping experience as vendors were available selling everything from plants to Tupperware to purses and jewelry.
The sister combination of Sharon Moody and Phyllis Seaborn were on hand with their business, fittingly called Twisted Sisters. They participate in craft fairs all across the region, including the November show at McMinnville Civic Center. They sell homemade wind chimes and jewelry.
"For this being the first time we've done this show, we've had a great day," said Seaborn.

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