Food Hub director announces run for County Commission District 3

Kelli Kelly, the 2018 Cantaloupe Festival and Country Fair Queen, has announced she plans to run for Churchill County Commission District 3.

The seat is currently held by Carl Erquiaga, who will be termed out. Filing, though, does not open until March 2020. Kelly discussed her reasons for running for County Commission at Saturday’s Sawyer-Bryan Dinner sponsored by the Churchill County Democrats.

Kelly reminisces about her first memories in Fallon.

“The Cantaloupe Festival was the first Fallon adventure that we had after moving to town on Aug. 26, 2009,” she said. “We met our neighbors, watched cantaloupe trebuchets, drank cantaloupe daiquiris, and generally had a great time. Since then, the Cantaloupe Festival marks the anniversary of our moving to Fallon.”

The Kellys have made Fallon their home, and Kelli has become an advocate for her community. She is the executive director of the Fallon Food Hub, working to support local agricultural producers. She serves on the Nevada Farms Conference board and planning committee, NevadaGrown board of directors and Western Nevada College, Specialty Crop Institute advisory committee.

“Churchill County is the bread basket of west-central Nevada,” she said. “Our farmers, ranchers and dairymen work tirelessly to raise food for people, and feed for livestock – I love promoting products raised in Churchill County and encouraging people to source their food from within our foodshed.”

Additionally, she serves on the Board of Directors for the Fallon Youth Club, the Career and Technical Education Advisory Committee-Churchill County School District and the Churchill County Library Board of Trustees.

“When I first moved to Churchill County with my husband Neil, I fell fast-and-hard in love with this amazing community,” she said. “I am delighted to live in a place where it is so easy to get involved and to make a difference which is exactly what I sought to do through involvement with non-profits focused on youth, education, and local food. It is my hope to continue to grow my support and involvement in our community by running for Churchill County commissioner representing District 3.”