The culmination of years of effort and dedication was celebrated Tuesday at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Lenoir County Farmer's Market commercial kitchen, with Dr. Tammy Kelly, Ed.D., County Extension Director, being honored for her tireless work in making the project a reality. The event, held at the Rick Holder Annex, marked a significant milestone for the community, bringing together local officials, stakeholders, and supporters to commemorate the occasion.

Cale Grady, President of the Lenoir County Chamber of Commerce, expressed gratitude to Kelly and her team, stating, "What a beautiful day the Lord has made. It's just a beautiful day to have a ribbon cutting."

Grady highlighted the immense effort put forth by Kelly and her group, acknowledging the years of dedication and hard work that went into bringing the commercial kitchen to fruition.

Pat Jenkins, representing the Farmer's Market, echoed Grady's sentiments, stating, "We've watched from the Farmer's Market side this building being worked on for several years, but it's so wonderful to have a culmination finally today of the work that's been in progress for a while." Jenkins emphasized the importance of community support in realizing the project's goals.

During the ceremony, Kelly, whose leadership was instrumental in the project's success, shared her gratitude and reflected on the journey that led to the establishment of the commercial kitchen. Kelly expressed appreciation for the support received from various individuals and organizations.

She shared the vision for the kitchen. "We want to generate some economic development downtown and encourage additional vendors. We want to encourage our current vendors to do more and be able to sell more. We want to increase what the folks could do out here. We had wedding receptions, baby showers, and engagement parties, but there was no place to have a kitchen for a caterer, so this will serve as well."

"Tammy's Kitchen”

In a surprise announcement, Linda Rouse Sutton, representing the Lenoir County Board of Commissioners, revealed that the kitchen would be named in honor of Kelly, recognizing her outstanding contributions to the community. Sutton remarked, "This kitchen is named in recognition of Tammy Kelly, for her tireless efforts and leadership that have made this and many other projects possible."

The dedication ceremony served as a reminder of the importance of perseverance and community spirit in realizing shared goals. With Kelly's leadership and the support of the community, the commercial kitchen represents progress and opportunity for Lenoir County.