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Sip and Saveur to bring art, food tasting together
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Lisa Hobbs
Updated: Sep 19, 2014, 1:09 AM
Published: Sep 19, 2014, 1:10 AM

Junior Auxiliary will hold its inaugural “Sip and Saveur: Tasting and Art Showcase” on Sept. 27 from 5-8 p.m. in downtown McMinnville. It will be an evening of music, art and hors d’oeuvres.
The event will highlight local artists and the businesses on Main Street. Event patrons will register at Junior Auxiliary’s tent in front of the fountain on Court Square beginning at 5 p.m. to receive a gift bag and enter a raffle drawing.
“They will then have the opportunity to stroll along Main Street while listening to live jazz music from The Lund/McVey Group, and peruse local art that will be on display and for sale in several businesses,” said Junior Auxiliary member and event organizer Emily Stefanick.
Businesses participating include Topz, The Heritage Museum, Collins River BBQ and Café, McMinnville Jiu Jitsu, Ryan J. Moore Attorney at Law, Manna Natural Market, Junior Auxiliary in the Community Room of the Chamber of Commerce, The Painted Anchor, Et Cetera, Natural Marketplace, Pirtle and Little Law Office, Om Yoga, Citizen’s Tri-County Bank, Stanley-Bratcher Law Office, Ross and Company, and the Professional Building.
Some well-known names from the local art scene will be featured at the businesses including Linda Dunlap, Carol Neal, Dr. Bryan Chastain, Bonnie Davis, Michael Galligan, and Chad Davis, just to name a few. In addition, the works of young artists from Warren County High School will be displayed in the Chamber’s Community Room.
“While enjoying the talent of local artists, patrons will also be provided with tastings of food and beverages, many of which are crafted by local caterers and restaurants,” said Stefanick. “The evening will conclude with a raffle drawing featuring several prizes, including a bottle of Arrington Vineyards Red Fox Red autographed by country music star Kix Brooks.”
Stefanick says the first event has been well received.
“Sip and Saveur has been met with overwhelming support,” she said. “JA would like to recognize and thank platinum sponsor USA Gym, and gold sponsors D.M. Simpson and Company, Law Offices of Galligan and Newman, and Davis Sign Company.”
Tickets are $25 in advance or $30 the night of the event and are available at all Security Federal Bank locations, Wink Skincare, or from any JA member. All proceeds will go toward the continued efforts of Junior Auxiliary to improve the lives of children and families in Warren County and surrounding areas through service projects, such as Coats for the Community, Hopping into Health, and Pencil Pals.
Local farm partnership brings fresh beef to Warren County Schools
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Published: Apr 2, 2025, 11:31 PM

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