Little do many people know, but there is one of the sweetest assets know to these parts, right in southern Lowndes County.

By that, we could mean no other than the &uot;Candy Kitchen&uot; at Priester's Pecans.

Operated by co-owner Ellen Burkett, a Ft. deposit native, the retail store and kitchen has been a favorite stop for travelers on Interstate 65 from all over the United States, Canada and Mexico.

&uot;We have visitors from all over the country,&uot; said Burkett, who oversees everything in the process, from the loading of supplies in the back of the plant, to the wrapping of sweet confections in the kitchen, to the smiles on the cashiers' faces in the retail store and restaurant up in front. &uot;We have a lot of dedicated employees here, some who have been here as long as the kitchen,&uot; she said. &uot;We suffered what we thought was a tremendous loss several years ago, when everything went up in flames during a tragic fire n the community showed their true hearts, and we were able to re-build.&uot;

The kitchen employs approximately 75 mostly Lowndes County natives, although some of the employees also come from Butler and Crenshaw counties.

&uot;As long as pecans grow, and as long as we can make sweet products for people to enjoy, we will be right here at the 142 exit in Ft. Deposit,&uot; Burkett said.

Ample parking is available, including a lane for tour buses.

Hours are Sunday through Saturday, from 8 a.m. through 6 p.m.