NEWS

CASH AMONG TOP PICKS FOR SCHOOLS JOB 2M

SUMNER A.M.
SUNDAY MARCH 25, 2012 GALLATIN, TENNESSEE SERVING SUMNER COUNTY SINCE 1840 50

Fire report reveals injury

Recent Hoeganaes incident has yet to trigger outside investigation
By Sarah Kingsbury
Sumner A.M.

A Hoeganaes worker was burned and later hospitalized after the front loader truck he was operating caught fire March 7. However, the top fire official who responded to the scene said

he was not informed of the injury. Five workers died in three separate fires at the industrial facility in 2011. On the day of the most recent accident, Gallatin fire Assistant Chief Tom Dale characterized the fire as minor, though the incident report later showed it caused $175,000 in damage and injured one worker. Gallatin fire Capt. Rodney Pryor, who wrote the report, said he was aware the worker was injured soon after he arrived at Hoeganaes at 3:44 a.m. that day.

The fire occurred on a piece of heavy machinery that was operating on Hoeganaes property but was not inside any buildings. EMS had his hands wrapped up and I noticed that he had some singeing of hair on his face, Pryor said Thursday, after Sumner A.M. obtained a copy of the report. A Hoeganaes spokesman confirmed the worker was burned and hospitalized. She said the man was employed by a contractor, and the incident occurred on a contractors truck. Pryor could not recall wheth-

er he spoke with Dale the morning of the fire, but said he would have told the assistant chief about the injury if he had been asked. Dale said a Hoeganaes representative whose name he could not remember and Pryor both told him there were no injuries at the scene that morning. He agreed Thursday to provide this newspaper with the name of the man he spoke with at the company, but had not done so Friday. It was not until two days after the fire that he found out the man had been hospitalized, Dale said.

According to the incident report, the victim at first declined to go to a hospital, even signing a refusal of transport document for Sumner County medics. But Pryor said he urged the man to seek medical attention, and advised company officials that the burns needed to be looked at further by a doctor, which the fire captain documented in his report. The victim eventually complied. The identity of the victim is unknown, because Pryor did not

HOEGANAES, 3M

Faulkner to begin as VSCC president

By Jennifer Easton
Sumner A.M.

RAISING SEED MONEY

The Tennessee Board of Regents on Wednesday unanimously approved Jerry Faulkner as the next president for Volunteer State Community College. Faulkner, current vice president of academic affairs at Cleveland State Community College, assumes his new leadership role at the college May 15. The board met via teleconference to consider TBR Chancellor John Morgans recommendation of Faulkner, who will replace Bruce Scism, Vol States interim president. Im obviously very honored to be chosen and to have Faulkner the expression of confidence from the Tennessee Board of Regents and the chancellor, Faulkner said. While at Cleveland State, Faulkner obtained a $2 million Title III grant for the college, piloted an allied health consortium with two other colleges in the state, and set up a dual admission agreement that streamlined the student transfer process. Before Cleveland State, Faulkner was a member of the biology faculty at Chattanooga State Technical Community College from 1994-2008. In his interview, Faulkner said his background as a scientist typically leads him to make data-driven decisions. He said community colleges and universities should look to the business world for examples of how to be more efficient, saying consolidating services would result in savings. Faulkner was on VSCCs campus on Wednesday after the TBR vote to observe an annual student forum with the presidents cabinet. I was very impressed with the students depth of knowledge on issues facing the college [concerning]

Mike Slaton and Caitlin Fitch-Mooney, with their Great Pyrenees dog Bear, tend to their crops at Delta Sun Farm in Hendersonville.
ALEXANDER QUINONES/SUMNER A.M.

Local organic farm launches funds campaign

By Alexander Quinones
Sumner A.M.

SUPPORT THE PROJECT

To pledge support for their organic farm and to learn more about their CSA program, visit kickstarter.com/ projects/deltasunfarm/delta-sunfarm-csa-program

FAULKNER, 3M

ike Slaton was living the rock n roll lifestyle, which was fun but came with a price. I was playing music for a living, he said. I was drinking and eating whatever I wanted. I got unhealthy, and I got diabetes. Then, a health specialist advised him to go on an organic diet. I weighed like 340 pounds, and in the first summer I started doing it, I lost 50 pounds, he said. Once I lost weight, no more diabetes. The experience changed him. He felt like he had more energy and vitality than ever before. He left his band Mike Slaton & the Wheels, quit the music business and became an organic farmer. Now, he has moved with his partner to Middle Tennessee from North Carolina to fulfill his dream of running his own organic

farm. They have set up an online campaign to raise the $20,000 to kickstart their operations. Slaton and his partner, Caitlin FitchMooney, are using a website called Kickstarter.com to raise the money. People who pledge get rewards depending on much they give. For a dollar donation, one gets a note of gratitude on the companys website. For $500, local residents can get a weekly share of produce as part of their 24-week Community Supported

All the years Ive been dreaming of doing it, and being out here, and the love I have for putting my hands in the soil just to plant a seed and have it grow and nourish people, its really awesome.
CAITLIN FITCH-MOONEY
Organic farmer

DELTA SUN, 5M

White House Chamber hosts Jungle banquet

A record number of 128 people attended the 28th annual banquet of the White House Area Chamber of Commerce at the Epic Event Center in Gallatin on Thursday, March 22. Im very pleased because we have so many people who are active, incoming Chamber President Tammy Denton said. It helps White House and it helps the businesses grow. We have seen the Chamber grow and because of (Executive Director) Julie Bolton, we have a bigger and better Chamber, and I think she is the best! Denton is stepping in to replace retiring President Terry

LEARN MORE
Look for an in-depth feature on the White House Citizen of the Year, Robert Whitaker, in Fridays Gallatin News Examiner.

Christopher Newton (left) prepares to serve White House Alderman Clif Hutson (right) at the 28th annual banquet of the White House Area Chamber of Commerce on Thursday. The event took place at the Epic Event Center in Gallatin. DESSISLAVA YANKOVA/SUMNER A.M.

Lankford, who along with many attendees honored the banquets theme, Safari: Its a Jungle Out There, and dressed in exotic leopard and other animal prints. Westmoreland-based Chef Christophers Catering, who owns the Epic Center, provided the food for the event, which among other items included chicken, beef, salad, steamed vegetables and pasta.

Chamber officials honored retiring board members and welcomed new members, after which they presented several awards including the Ambassador of the Year to Paul Bennett Jr.; the Community Service Award to Jim Bruce; and the Citizen of the Year award to Robert Whitaker. Among the guests were State Reps. Joshua Evans and Debra Maggart, State Sen. Kerry Roberts and U.S. Rep. Diane Black, who flew in from Washington D.C. the day of the event.
Dessislava Yankova/Sumner A.M.

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NEWS

SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012

5M

Couple says land was perfect for farm

DELTA SUN FROM 1M
Agriculture (CSA) program. They said they are eager to get things rolling at Delta Sun Farm, because there arent many opportunities for people to buy fruit and vegetables from local organic farms. That was one of the big reasons for us to come here, Fitch-Mooney said. We saw that there wasnt really that many people doing it. And we wanted to be here to provide that for people. They have already secured a place in Nashvilles 12 South Farmers Market where people will be able to buy their fruits, vegetables, eggs and meats, and where their CSA members can pick up their weekly basket. They hope to secure a spot at the Hendersonville Farmers Market soon. ternet has had a solution for startups to generate capital . The practice is called crowdfunding, and through Kickstarter, Slaton and Fitch-Mooney are hoping to raise $20,000 to buy more fencing, farming equipment and seeds, which actually are expensive a cost totaling thousands of dollars per year. But raising the money is more than just about starting a business or being able to quit their jobs at Shipley Do-Nuts, which they have to balance with the daily demands of being farmers. Its about fulfilling a dream. To me, it would literally mean a dream come true, Slaton said. Im out here every day. This is where I come to work. It doesnt get better than this. It would just be that all the years Ive been dreaming of doing it, and being out here, and the love I have for putting my hands in the soil just to plant a seed and have it grow and nourish people, its really awesome, Fitch-Mooney said.
Reporter Alexander Quinones can be reached at 575-7114 or aquinones@mtcngroup.com

A red wattle piglet walks away from his mother inside the pig pen at Delta Sun Farm. ALEXANDER QUINONES/SUMNER A.M. this really our first season, he said. As far as they are concerned, they could not have found a better farm. We couldnt be luckier about the condition of the pasture and the soil and everything, he said. Its perfect for us. On the 13-acre farm, they plan to grow strawberries, tomatoes, garlic, squash, lettuce and many other crops. groups together. Like you can plant marigolds next to your tomatoes. The smell of marigolds deters the pest from your tomatoes. Industrial farms tend to grow the same crop in the same field over and over again. Since different crops use up different nutrients from the soil, rotating the crops around the farm ensures a more balanced, healthier soil. Slaton, who likes to sing to the plants, said the extra cost in organic farming comes in the extra attention paid to the crops. The couple said they also try to buy as much as possible from other local providers, because a core goal of theirs is to engender a strong sense of community. When youre buying local, youre feeding back into your community, Fitch-Mooney said.

Laying down roots

Slaton met Fitch-Mooney while studying agriculture at Central Carolina Community College. He said the relationship grew as organically as any of the crops they grow. Its nothing like Ive ever experienced before, he said. Its like a real organic, gradual growth for us. Its so natural. Ill be like, You know, we need to get some chickens, and Caitlin will say, I was just thinking that. Lets get some chickens. Slaton heard about the available farm, located at 1755 Saundersville Road, through his brother Tommy Slaton, who manages Cloud 9 Disc Golf, which was until recently was located in Hendersonville. The couple took over the farm, which used to be a horse farm, in September. We got here right on the cusp, just a little too late to plant for the fall, so

Raising the seed money

This week, the U.S. Senate approved a bill that would make it easier for companies to raise money from the public. It has yet to be reconciled with a similar one the House passed earlier this month . The In-

Organic versus industrial

Organic farming is farming without the use of synthetic fertilizers or pesticides. Fitch-Mooney said more and more farms are adopting organic practices, because they dont have to spend money on pesticides. What organic farmers rely on more, however, to protect their crops is crop rotation. The biggest thing is crop rotation, she said. Planting small, different

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