You can pickup and order our beef every day of the week
The Table Market and Culinary Studio in Ft. Worth
September, 25, 2020
Twin Creeks Ranch is so excited and grateful to be represented at The Table Market and Culinary Studio, located at 120 St. Louis Avenue, Suite 103B, in Fort Worth! The Table hosts cooking classes, workshops, a retail market and unique dining experiences and is the creative collaboration of culinary masterminds and owners Dena and Trent Shaskan, Hao Tran and Dixya Bhattarai. This foursome represents an extensive mix of culinary influences, experience and expertise.
Chef Dena is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in New York and served as the Executive Chef of award-winning Cafe Modern for 11 years. Her husband, Trent, hails from San Francisco and is the owner of Icon Bread -- maker of some of the most authentic sourdough loaves you can find in the Lone Star State!
When not teaching high school chemistry, Hao Tran hosts pop-up events, collaborative dinners and cooking classes featuring dishes inspired by her Vietnamese heritage, and she is a joint venture partner with Dixya Bhattarai called Lost in the Sauce. Bhattarai is a Nepalese immigrant, culinary dietician and food blogger (check out Food, Pleasure and Health) who crafts outstanding dumplings and other regional dishes inspired by her home country.
You can stop by The Table anytime during store hours (listed below) and pick up our Longhorn beef, along with offerings from over 30 small businesses represented at their store. You can place an order for our beef here and pick up at The Table or place orders online from their website (www.thetablemarket.com). They even have the option of curbside pickup or delivery to your door. Their rotating showcase of culinary delights includes locally sourced produce, bread, oils, flowers, eggs, coffees, meats and more, including an assortment of ready-to-eat items prepared by the owners themselves.
Please check out their website or stop by and say hello during store hours!
Open
Tues-Sat 11:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat 11:00 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Sun-Mon 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
He's baaaa-ack!
Ranch Manager Wade Martinez Promoted to Sergeant and Home From Deployment
August 12, 2020
After a year of being deployed in the Middle East, we are glad to have our Ranch Manager Wade  Martinez home in Texas. He and his wife, Lauren, have been part of our ranch family since 2011. Wade serves in the Army Reserves and has served overseas before, but this time he came home with a new rank -- Sargeant Eric "Wade" Martinez. We are so proud of him!
Besides working and living on the ranch, Wade is a firefighter in The Woodlands and Lauren teaches first grade for the Conroe Independent School District. They have two ranch hands, Hudson, 4 and Carson, 2, plus a herd of dogs, two goats and a pony in their side yard.
We are lucky to have both Wade and Lauren as
part of the Twin Creeks Ranch family. As you can imagine with a ranch,
it takes all hands on deck to manage the jobs that need to be completed
to keep the ranch running properly and the animals safe, healthy and
fed. While Wade was away, Lauren really stepped up to check fences,
water, feed and keep a watchful eye over the place. Wade's brothers and
father pitched in as well. And while we are grateful for the support at
home, we are also thankful for the time that Wade devotes to serving
our country.
  
Thanks Wade, and welcome home!
ThrThree Years Later...
How Harvey Changed Our Course
by Darlynn Lydick
August 8, 2020
Three years ago I was at at Texas A&M's Short Course on Beef. John was working with some new restaurants that liked our grass-fed longhorn beef and wanted to use it in their establishments. We were already in a handful of restaurants in the Houston area, a couple farmers markets and had a thriving home delivery program. We moved our youngest into her dorm at Ole Miss. Then Hurricane Harvey hit.
Water started coming in at 1:00 a.m. unannounced from an upstream release. Our son was able to help us get some things upstairs but all said we ended up with nearly 6 feet of dirty water inside our house. We were rescued off our balcony at dawn with pets in hand and a backpack of belongings. Actually, the cat was in a backpack too. He was unsure of the rain, wobbly canoe and chaos. Our cars were flooded. All our neighbors were in the same situation.
The water that went through two broken water treatment facilities sat in our homes for two weeks. The New York Times wrote about the 700 pounds of rotten beef that floated in our garage and into our house. The City of Houston was inundated and couldn't pick up the rubbish for 30 days. The stench was nauseating.
 
The ranch infrastructure also took a hit from the 50+ inches of rain that Hurricane Harvey brought with it. While no buildings were damaged, two dams were breached and broke. Pastures and roads washed away. Fences disappeared and cows wondered. Our ranch manager used our tractor to get neighbors to safety and to main roads.
We share these details with you not for your sympathy but to show you our resolve. We stayed with friends, moved in with John's parents and then into a trailer in the driveway. We were the neighborhood sentry and happy hour. We mucked out and stabilized the house and salvaged what we could. People were gracious. Family, friends, neighbors and strangers gave us food, clothes, shelter, cleaning supplies and help. A chair to sit in. A shoulder to cry on. A restroom. An adult beverage. All necessities.
Today our house is rebuilt, beautiful and better than it was. We have a new garden that brings us joy; we eat from it every day. The cows have been rounded up, ranch roads repaired and fences mended. The pasture and dam took 800 dumptruck loads to refill; we just left the ranch gate open for four months.
At the ranch today there are no signs of the damage that washed away our lives in 2017. Our neighborhood in Houston is still rebuilding but nearing a sense of normalcy. There are still houses under construction but mostly people are living upstairs, downstairs and outside.
We just moved our daughter into a house at Texas A&M for her senior year. She's the one taking courses there now. John's brother, Rob, wants to grow the beef business in the Fort Worth area where they live and we'll begin retracing and rebuilding our steps in Houston. We will continue to do what we can to keep our family ranch a viable and vibrant place for the future. Timber, cattle and wildlife: we love this ranch.
From Premium Ground to Ribeye Steaks
Our Grass-fed Longhorn Beef Program is Growing
May 5, 2017
 From just a "Premium Ground" to steaks, roasts, marrow bones and two different ground beef options, our grass-fed longhorn beef program is on the rise.
It started with family and friends buying our premium ground beef. Following the lead of some other grass-fed beef providers, we simply put the whole cow into a "Premium" ground beef. It was lean, healthy and delicous. We sold it via home delivery and in-state shipping.
In November of last year, we became a vendor at a Farmer's Market in Houston. Our new customers loved the flavor of the beef as well, and returned every week to buy more. Over and over we heard requests for steaks and other cuts. Concerned about the tenderness of longhorn beef relative to what people are accustomed to, we were cautious about selling a product that people might not be happy with.
After researching specific cuts and processing a steer, we tested the steaks and roasts and were happy with the results! We tried different cooking methods on different cuts and invited our friends and neighbors to sample. We took what they liked best and put together recipes and tips for our customers.
The most important factor in eating grass-fed longhorn beef is cooking it properly! We tell our customers "Do Not Overcook!" as grass-fed beef is always best rare/medium-rare side. Longhorn beef may well be the leanest beef around and cooks even faster than other types of grass-fed beef. It's been said that grass-fed longhorn beef cooks 30-50% faster than traditional grain-fed beef. So don't walk away with it on the grill.
With ribeye and strips steaks, though, comes a whole lot of ground beef, which is why we are working with some commercial customers who will use our ground beef. Longhorn beef does make quite a tasty hamburger, but is also great in chili and meatloaf.
With an expanding herd and increasing customer base, we look forward to more growth in 2017.
Contact Darlynn at 713-249-3006 if you want more information.
The Longhorn Journal, February 2017
Lean and Healthy
Grass-fed Longhorn Beef Tastes Delicious
& Makes a Great Gift
December 2, 2016
Send a unique, truly-Texan gift to your friends, family and business associates for the holidays this year. Our longhorn beef is ground and includes all the best cuts; it is healthy, lean and delicious!
We have two gift pack options for the holidays:
The Texan $60: Includes 5 lbs. of our premium ground grass-fed beef, in our brand-stamped cotton bags, an insulated shipping box with ice packs shipped anywhere in Texas.
The True Texan $67: Includes 5 lbs. of our premium ground grass-fed beef, in our brand-stamped cotton bags, an insulated shipping box with ice packs shipped anywhere in Texas. Also includes a beautiful, professionally-printed 8 x 10 photograph of one of our iconic longhorns (Susie Dode RK61) in front of a Texas flag. This gives your recipient two ways to enjoy Texas Longhorns!
Our orders ship out Mondays and Tuesday (via UPS Ground) so they arrive at their destinations safely and still cold. A longhorn gift card will be the first thing your recipients see when they open up their gift box from you. Shipments also include information on nutrition and cooking.
Besides UPS shipping, we offer pick-up locations in Houston, Willis and Fort Worth. If you are traveling to see friends and family, let us put together a box for you to take as a hostess gift. If you're close to our Houston location, we'll deliver free-of-charge for 5 pounds or more.
To place your orders, give us a call (Darlynn 713-249-3006), send an email or click on the order form to get rolling. Remember to order some beef for yourself!
#LonghornBaby
New Heifer From Pacific Lauren's Dolly x Cowboy Trophy
August 24, 2016
Its a girl! Thanks to Pacific Lauren's Dolly, we have a beautiful heifer to carry on Cowboy Trophy genetics. Cowboy Trophy was a magnificent, young bull that passed in May when he was struck by lightening. His August-born heifer has his color and markings with a mellow, inquisitive disposition.
Dam "Dolly" kept a watchful eye over her first calf in the pasture but let us rub all over the heifer when she came up close to check us out.
We are looking forward to watching this young calf grow and grow in the pastures at Twin Creeks Ranch and are happy to have two more Cowboy Trophy calves due later this year.
photo cred: Lauren Martinez
#CowsInSpace
Silhouette Heifer Home; Chex Mate Bull-Calf Headed Out
Longhorn Project at NASA Update
July 22, 2016
TCR Frosted Silhouette, Rio Silhouette Chex’ fanciest black and white 2015 heifer born at Twin Creeks Ranch, came home recently from the pastures at Johnson Space Center, where she was part of a student program that allows students learn about livestock and agriculture.
The Longhorn Project at NASA is a collaborative between the Texas Longhorn Breeders Association of America, Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, Johnson Space Center at NASA and local school districts that gives students hands-on learning opportunities. High school students are responsible for caring, feeding, training and showing the longhorns during the school year.
Upon returning to our pastures, “Frostie” (affectionately nick-named by her student caretaker) was greeted by the herd, her dam JMR Frosted Brownie and a new, full sister born earlier this spring. TCR Frosted Silhouette looks great has been consigned to the Longhorn Extravaganza Sale in October.
TCR Rebel Chex is a handsome bull-calf out of our Cowboy Chex son, MK Chex Mate, and our big-bodied mama, Rebel Star. This bull-calf is one of the biggest for us this spring, with markings similar to his sire. Of course, we are watching those horns to see how they progress; Chex Mate was just over 34-inches tip-to-tip at 12 months.
TCR Rebel Chex has been selected for the NASA program this year and will head south on I-45 sometime this September after he is weaned. Ryan Henderson will be his handler this year and was on the ranch earlier this summer to say hello.
#BredBeforeTheStorm
RIP Cowboy Trophy
Three Calves Due Later This Year
July 2, 2016
It came as a shock this May when lightening struck Cowboy Trophy, our big, black and white herd sire owned in partnership with fellow breeders Bonnie & Bob Dube. We had plans to breed him to 10-12 of our cows this spring. He was just waiting in the bull pasture while we were pregnancy-checking our cows. While he wasn't able to breed any cows at our ranch, we had delivered some of our favorite cows to him last fall at the Dube's Ranch. Because of that, we will have three Cowboy Trophy calves born this year at TCR, the first being out ofPacific Lauren’s Dolly, due next month.
 Cowboy Trophy, born in 2013, had great genetics. His sire, Cowboy Chex, is also the sire of the world's widest horned bull, Cowboy Tuff Chex, measuring in at 98.3125 inches tip-to-tip, as of fall 2015.
Pacific Lauren's Dolly, or Dolly as we call her, is an easy-going, solidly-built, red and white cow with great horn shape and length (34 inches at 12 months). She also has Cowboy Chex on her side and is out of Santee Chex and Pacific Dolly. This will be Dolly's first calf.
MK Chex Mate to Step Up
Thanks to Bob and Bonnie Dube, we were able to bring our other partnership bull MK Chex Mate home to TCR to breed the other dozen or so cows that were meant for Cowboy Trophy. While we were looking forward to adding a little more black to the herd, we always welcome the brindle and white coloring and horn length that MK Chex Mate passes on to his offspring. Chex Mate is also a son of Cowboy Chex but one year younger than Cowboy Trophy.
We look forward to seeing these offspring; watch for pictures and details here!
Also #bredbeforethestorm to Cowboy Trophy and due in 2016:
ECR First Light
Mo Baby IV
Introducing New Cowboy Chex Son at TCR
'Cowboy Trophy' to Breed Our Best Cows
This Spring
May 2016 (addendum June 1, 2016)
We are proud to announce our new partnership with friend and longhorn breeders Bonnie and Bobby Dube of Round Top, TX in owning this great Cowboy Chex son, Cowboy Trophy, out of Trophy's First Lady. We do like the Cowboy Chex genetics, as proven by our other young Cowboy Chex son and TCR herd sire MK Chex Mate, out of LAR Maxine 9/09. Both bulls have strong conformation and horn growth and throw fancy color to offspring. MK Chex Mate has proven to throw brindle and white to his calves, while Cowboy Trophy tends to throw more black and white. We'll take both!!  We are anxiously watching how the horn growth progresses in some of our 2016 Chex Mate calves that are already on the ground and look forward to seeing what Cowboy Trophy and some of our best cows produce next spring.
(Big Wig x Mo Baby IV) took home the ribbons in the ITLA haltered show while Tessa (aka 1 Thessalonians 5:11) earned second place in the TLBAA show but turned more heads outside of the ring because of her flashy brindle color and curious white bull-calf.
TCR Ruby has always done well in the show ring for us with her ultra-feminine face, neat conformation and graceful horns. She placed first in her age group and was named Reserve Champion.
 Although Tessa (John 14:21 x Genesis 1:1) did not place as high with the judge in the TLBAA show, she certainly drew the crowds to our area. Hundreds took her picture; dozens asked us to take their photos with the pair, there were questions about her white calf and several even asked if "she" was a bull (because of her horns)!
These were all great opportunities for us to share our knowledge and love of the breed and a prime example of why it is beneficial to participate in local showcases like the Houston Rodeo.
Also at the Rodeo...
 
L: TCR Ranch Manager Wade Martinez is interviewed (with TCR Ruby's ½ sister TCR Rodeo Baby) by RODEOHOUSTON Reporter.
R: Longhorn Project Student Madison Lane with one of the heifers she shows, TCR Frosted Silhouette.
Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo
Gearing Up For The Biggest Rodeo Around
February 2016
Our animals are registered and we are getting ready for the 2016 Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo! Three beautiful cows & heifers will trailer up and head down I45 on Sunday, March 6, for the Texas Longhorn Breeders' Association of America (TLBAA) show on Monday, March 7, and the International Texas Longhorn Association (ITLA) competition March 8.
One additional TCR heifer will make the trip up I45 from her home at NASA with her student handler, Madison L. She and other NASA Project students from Clear Creek School District will be showing the longhorns they take care of on a daily basis.
Rodeo Line-Up:
 
 
 NASA Longhorn Project Heifer TCR Frosted Silhouette, nicknamed "Frostie" by her student caretaker Madison L., will also be shown at the Rodeo. Good luck to them both!
With the huge turnout at last year's Trophy Steer Show on a Sunday, we had hoped the Longhorn Shows would have finally been moved to Saturday and Sunday. A "Longhorn Weekend" would give thousands more people the chance to see these beautiful Texas icons. Since this did not happen, we'll be extra happy to see any visitors Sunday evening thru Tuesday afternoon, if not earlier in the day for the shows, then in the afternoon before concerts, March 6, 7 & 8.
Look for the Longhorns on the north side of the main arena, just past the shopping areas! John will be manning the ITLA booth and I'll be nearby with my camera and a pocket full of treats for the cows!
Longhorn Extravaganza in OKC
Black Bulls Rule, But Chex Mate Still
King of the Pasture
November 1, 2015
Rio Silhouette Chex (JP Rio Grande x Midnight Darlin’) won Get-of-Sire at this year’s Longhorn Extravaganza in Oklahoma City, while one of his offspring at Twin Creeks Ranch, TCR Outlaw Silhouette, was named Reserve Champion Junior Bull. Bull Partners Gary Don and Joanna Taylor also had several Silhouette offspring that won awards at the ITLA show.
We brought MK Chex Mate (Cowboy Chex x LAR Maxine 9/09) to participate in the horn measurement competition this year. While he had super length for a bull his age, 68 13/16 inches at 32 months, competition was fierce and he missed placing by 1/16th of an inch!
As we pulled out of OKC to head home, he broke off a 3-4 inch tip that had been hanging on like a loose tooth for days. While he probably won’t win any horn competitions in the future, this Cowboy Chex son is a complete bull and we are thrilled with his color, conformation, body size and horn growth. We look forward to seeing his calves drop this fall-winter at TCR where he is still King of the Pasture!
New Cows Come Home
CWR Rio Wendy (JP Rio Grande x Roundup’s Wendy) made the trip home to Texas and promptly delivered a heifer-calf out of Iron Hail, breaking our bull-calf run!
Allens 338 (Sittin’ Bull x HL Faith) is a gorgeous grulla cow that has been exposed to CWR Rio Whiskey for a spring calf. We are glad to have a cow with her coloring at TCR.
Pacific Lauren’s Dolly (Santee Chex x Pacific Dolly) is a gorgeous young heifer off of Mike and Jeanie Casey’s Ranch. She went back to Texas with our friend Bobby Dube to be bred to his black and white Cowboy Chex son.
What's Up at Twin Creeks Ranch?
September 24, 2015
That's Bull
MK Chex Mate (Cowboy Chex x LAR Maxine 9/09) is back home in the front pasture at Twin Creeks Ranch after spending his summer at Hickman Longhorns. He will be heading to the Longhorn World Championships in OK in October. His full sister, GLR Minimax recently sold for $25K - unexposed - at the Hudson Valentine Show in Las Vegas.
Black and white bull-calf TCR Outlaw Silhouette (Rio Silhouette Chex x Mary Jo Graves RK 23) is in the stables at Bobby Dube’s place being halter-broken and getting show-ready for the LWC. He was TCR’s biggest bull-calf this spring out of Rio Silhouette Chex (JP Rio Grande x Midnight Darlin’ RCC) with the widest horn spread.
Rio Silhouette Chex, owned in partnership with Gary Don Taylor of Taylor Longhorns, will be headed back to Okarche, Oklahoma next month to spend the winter. This solid black bull in known for that throwing color and good conformation.
Getting Ready For LWC
TCR Ranch Manager Wade Martinez is halter-breaking TCR Miss Chex (All Around Cowboy Chex x Sittin’ Unlimited) and TCR Rodeo Baby (Rodeo Max x Mo Baby IV) so they are ready for LWC. He is also working with Cowboy Chex heifer out of of Lauren Graves RK27 (TCR Pumpkin Chex, born 10/31/14); she is one stubborn heifer but built like a brick house. Can’t wait to breed her to MK Chex Mate…major calf expected out of those two!
Longhorn in Space
TCR Frosted Silhouette (Rio Silhouette Chex x JMR Frosted Brownie) has officially been accepted into the NASA Space Program! She will be living and grazing at NASA, as part of the NASA Longhorn Project for the next year. Clear Creek Independent School District Student Madison L. will be showing her at 7-8 competitions this year and we wish both of them the best of luck. The NASA Longhorn Project was developed 20 years ago in an effort between the Texas Longhorn Breeders Association of America, the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, the Clear Creek Independent School District and NASA’s Johnson Space Center.
Rio Silhouette Chex is Home
July 30, 2015
After spending several months in the pastures of ITLA President and Bar L Ranch owner Larry Lonero, our big, black Rio Silhouette Chex is home at Twin Creeks Ranch and getting back to business here. He's settled in our front pasture for a while with two sold heifers that need to be bred. When they're confirmed pregnant, they'll be off to new breeders Jacques and Kelsey Mathieu's land in Milam County, TX, while Silhouette will be turned out with 7 of our open cows.
Not only did Rio Silhouette Chex give us 11 colorful calves earlier this year, he throws straight backs, long legs and really produces in that regard. We have some very big bull calves out of his breeding; one could be your next herd sire.
Twin Creeks Ranch owns Rio Silhouette Chex in partnership with Gary Don Taylor of Taylor Ranch Longhorns in Okarche, OK.
King Me!
All In With Chex Mate
May 17, 2015
Twin Creeks Ranch now has full interest in MK Chex Mate, a two-year-old brindle and white bull out of Cowboy Chex x LAR Maxine 9/09. While previously in partnership with Deer Creek Longhorns, we are excited about this young bull. His big-based horns are still headed straight out and pink from all the blood pumping to them! They measured 63 inches at 24 months and continue to grow at a nice pace.
His good looks may qualify him as pasture art, but this handsome longhorn takes care of business while being quite a character.  He takes cubes by hand gently, rolls empty barrels and tubs around the pasture with his horns for entertainment (ours and his) and takes his time courting the ladies. While some bulls get in and get out, this loverboy walks around with his current girlfriend and sits in the field for a couple of days with each cow he breeds!
He has been in our pastures since last October so a good portion of our cows are currently bred to him. In June, he'll head off for 3 months to fellow longhorn breeder and neighbor Doreen Hickman (Hickman Longhorns) to woo some of her cows.
Rio Silhouette Chex Wins Get-of-Sire at Houston Rodeo
March 9, 2015
Yes, it's true -- our black bull, Rio Silhouette Chex, owned in partnership with Taylor Ranch Longhorns, won the Grand Champion Get-of-Sire at the 2015 Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo! The award means that Silhouette had more offspring that won in the rodeo than any other bull! Thanks to Gary Don Taylor who brought his lot of cows & calves,  bulls and steer down from Oklahoma, to participate in the longhorn shows and festivities at this year's rodeo.
We look forward to next year's rodeo where we will be able to show some of the 10 Rio Silhouette Chex calves that were born at TCR last month. You can see some of them highlighted (right) in our newest ad that will run the the next issue of the Longhorn Journal.
TCR Ruby came away with First Place in her class, winning over some beautiful competition. She also spent a day in the Breed Show Barn as an example of a Texas Longhorn for all the public to see. They love her feminine face, growing horns and spunky personality. Ruby is due with a Rio Silhouette Chex calf later this spring.
DC Over Chex won Reserve Grand Champion in ITLA's Haltered Show this year, with her large body, straight back and fancy coloring. DC is out of the Deer Creek Longhorn breeding program and an offspring of Cowboy Chex. We are sure glad to have her as part of our herd!
'Silhouette' Will See Lots of Little Shadows This Spring
Jan. 12, 2015
Calf season begins soon for Rio Silhouette Chex’ first round
of calves at Twin Creeks Ranch. Beginning January 20 through mid-May,
we expect to add 15+ calves, each with a unique blend of Silhouette’s
dark color and our dams’ twisty-horn, big-body genetics. Additionally,
we’ve paired him with several of our favorite heifers for their
first-time calves. 
TCR owns Rio Silhouette Chex in partnership with Taylor
Ranch Longhorns in Oklahoma and they have had tremendous success with
his offspring. Bred by well-known horse and longhorn breeder, Bob
Loomis, Silhouette is sired by the popular JP Rio Grande but gets his
black color from his dam, Midnight Darlin’ RCC.
Rio Silhouette Chex knew exactly what his job was from the
moment he was unloaded from the trailer (!) and we look forward seeing
our cows doing their job delivering and mothering our new crop of Twin
Creeks Ranch longhorns!
New Bull Joins the Herd at TCR
Nov. 12, 2014
Twin Creeks Ranch is proud to welcome MK Chex Mate to our growing herd. Out of Cowboy Chex x LAR Maxine 9/09 and owned
in partnership with Deer Creek Longhorns, this outstanding young bull
will sure increase the value of the offspring he sires. His brindle and
white color mix is perfect and his horns are growing like crazy, about
2.5 inches per month, according to recent measurements. He was a triple
winner at the Horn Showcase in Ft. Worth last month.
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Please join us
to celebrate the first anniversary of
The Table
Sunday, September 27
11am-2pm
120 St. Louis Avenue, Suite 103B
Fort Worth, 76104
There will be music, food and good company as we join other artisan vendors and the incredible Table Team to celebrate their milestone.
Twin Creeks Ranch will be there with plenty of our grass-fed, grass-finished Premium Ground Longhorn Beef on hand for purchase.
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Proud Members
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