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TCAT McMinnville invites public to open house
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Updated: Mar 21, 2015, 7:06 PM
Published: Mar 21, 2015, 7:07 PM

Tennessee College of Applied Technology - McMinnville will hold an open house from 4 to 6 p.m. Friday, March 27, for area adults to sign up for the Tennessee Reconnect grant, a new program that allows state residents to attend a technical college tuition free.
The event — held in conjunction with an open house, barbecue dinner and benefit auction for the SkillsUSA chapter — is designed to encourage adults to enroll in the Tennessee Reconnect program, Gov. Bill Haslam’s initiative to provide eligible adults the opportunity to earn a diploma or certificate at a Tennessee College of Applied Technology free of tuition and mandatory fees. Tennessee Reconnect is part of Drive to 55, an initiative focused on increasing the number of Tennesseans with a college degree or technical certificate.
The Tennessee Reconnect grant is a last-dollar scholarship, which will cover the remaining costs of tuition and mandatory fees for a TCAT program after other state and federal financial aid has been applied.
James D. King, vice chancellor for the Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology, said, “We look forward to potential students visiting our 27 campuses to learn more about how technical education can change their lives and provide a successful future through a variety of high-skilled and high-wage programs such as industrial maintenance, welding technology, computer information technology and practical nursing.”
During the TCAT McMinnville event this Friday, area residents may come to 241 Vo Tech Drive (behind River Park Hospital) to tour the campus, learn more about available training programs, and use the college’s computers to sign up online. Free pizza and soft drinks will also be on hand for anyone signing up.
“Tennessee Reconnect is such an incredible opportunity for adults to gain critical skills and enter the workforce,” said Mike Garrison, TCAT McMinnville coordinator of student services. “Our event is an opportunity to come see firsthand the opportunities we offer at TCAT McMinnville and take the first step toward admission.”
Drive to 55 executive director Mike Krause said he hoped many Tennessee adults would attend the event nearest them. “Now, more than ever, Tennessee needs a workforce that is educated and trained for the 21st century,” Krause said. “Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology offer an incredible chance for an adult to gain a new skill, become workforce-ready, and learn real-world skills from skilled faculty.”
TCAT McMinnville provides adults with technical training to meet the employment needs of industry and business within a service area that includes Warren, Coffee, Grundy, DeKalb, White, Van Buren, Cannon and Sequatchie counties. Programs lengths vary from 12 to 20 months.  Students attend classes year round, with trimesters beginning in May, September and January.
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