Lamb may not be a common dish on every table in America, but this red meat provides a great tasting addition to the menu. We talk to Nevada rancher Mike Compston about raising sheep, cutting meat and enjoying lamb.

Mike talks us through the way sheep are raised in the mountains, traditionally something Basque immigrants had done. Their influence continues in the area with the best in restaurant lamb offerings.

We also talk about the differences in mutton and lamb, how lamb sourcing differs from local butchers to US grocery stores, and he provides a depth of options in cuts and ways to prepare lamb.

Links mentioned in the podcast:

Find Mike Compston on social media:

• Instagram. MikeNVUSA
• Twitter MikeNVUSA
• Facebook Michael Compston

Sandi Brock’s YouTube Channel featuring all things raising sheep as well as her Sheepishly.Me Instagram

Where to find Grounded by the Farm on social media:

• GroundedbytheFarm.com for photos, blog posts, show notes and more
• Ask the Farmers Facebook Page
• Groundedbythefarm_ on Instagram
• Grounded by the Farm on Youtube
• @groundedbythef on Twitter

The post Enjoying Lamb Starts with A Good Cut & Simplicity in Cooking appeared first on Grounded by the Farm.

Few farmers have a more captivating history or voice than black farmer Lloyd Johnson who grows corn, soybeans and wheat in Alton, Illinois. The Johnson family — Lloyd’s great grandparents — bought the property in 1850, years before Abraham Lincoln would be president.

Lloyd talks with us about how he feels his path of being a farmer was part of a covenant made generations earlier. A covenant that ends with him he points out. The wisdom and life lessons extend well beyond what it is like to be a farmer to some of the things that make it a bit different since he is a black farmer. We ask him about advice for people looking to get into farming, about the creation of generational wealth, as well as some of the changes he’s seen in his 80 plus years in the St. Louis metro area.

You may also enjoy hearing from these other black farmers.

Photo of milo to show what he was talking about in terms of grain size.

For more information about the The National Black Growers Council visit the NBGC website or connect on social media at:

Twitter https://twitter.com/NBGC100

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/NBGC100/

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/nationalblackgrowerscouncil/

Find Grounded by the Farm 

• GroundedbytheFarm.com for photos, blog posts, show notes and more
• Ask the Farmers Facebook Page
• Groundedbythefarm_ on Instagram
• Grounded by the Farm on Youtube
• @groundedbythef on Twitter

The post The History of Being a Black Farmer, Johnson Family Farm Preceded Lincoln’s Presidency appeared first on Grounded by the Farm.

Over the past several months, we have talked to several farmers including changes in light of covid-19. This bonus episode takes a totally different look at the world as we catch back up with Christian Spears at Tennessee Brew Works. Christian was featured in a winter episode about sourcing local grain for the brewery and that episode was accompanied by an interview with the wheat and barley farmer they source so much from…. That wheat from Batey Farms is featured in their summer seasonal wheat beer I Walk the Lime too.

Christian’s first words are about how much the world has changed since we visited in the winter. We talk through how the brewery has had to rework things in light of the pandemic. Some of the topics and timecode follow as we covered a lot of ground in 45 minutes!

Please support your local microbreweries, restaurants, etc. Look for their products, call for curbside service, order products for a couple of meals at once, buy logo’ed wear, share your experiences with friends, family and your social media networks.

02:46 Taking a total business approach

09:00 Wanting to help employees while protecting the company’s future too

20:42 Where are you now? What can people do to help microbreweries and restaurants? 

29:52 Introducing innovations to help contactless

33:31 New seasonal 100% wheat beer — I Walk the Lime

39:59 Supporting live music in Nashville as possible

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Christian Spears discusses local farm connectivity TN Brew Works has built over the years https://groundedbythefarm.com/crafting-a-beer-that-has-a-depth-of-local-flavor-connecting-to-farmers/
• Brandon Whitt, of Batey Farms, talksaboutgrowin barley& wheat for the microbrewery https://groundedbythefarm.com/ever-met-a-beer-farmer-that-malted-barley-has-to-start-somewhere/
• Video/ article providing background of TN Brew Works & Batey Farms https://groundedbythefarm.com/craft-beer-tennessee-brew/

Where to Find TN Brew Works Online:

• Brewery website:  https://www.tnbrew.com/
• Instagram TNBrewWorks. instagram.com/tnbrewworks
• Facebook TNBrew. www.facebook.com/tnbrew
• Tumblr TNBrew. https://tnbrew.tumblr.com/
• Twitter TNBrewWorks https://twitter.com/TNBrewWorks

Connecting with Grounded by the Farm on Other Channels:

• GroundedbytheFarm.com for photos, blog posts, show notes and more
• Ask the Farmers Facebook Page
• Groundedbythefarm_ on Instagram
• Grounded by the Farm on Youtube
• @groundedbythef on Twitter

Check out this episode!

The post What 2020 is Like for Local Microbreweries & Restaurants (Bonus Episode) appeared first on Grounded by the Farm.

Wondering what’s on the minds of the people who listen to and follow Grounded by the Farm, we asked you to send us your questions and boy, did you all deliver!

In this episode we get a quick look at a range of topics from international farm visits, unusual discoveries, misconceptions about farming, the impacts of covid on farmers and quite a few questions around meat & fruits / vegetables. Janice Person, host of Grounded by the farm answers in this unedited, independence week episode.

Link to the Facebook page for the live event, Wednesday, — Facebook Live Animal Crossings New Horizons Farm Tour at 2 p.m. https://www.facebook.com/GroundedbytheFarm/live/

Check out the latest (including photos, videos, etc) on our website groundedbythefarm.com

As mentioned in the episode intro, LOTS of links for the show notes so we have related podcast episodes and other sites/

Previous episodes of Grounded by the Farm mentioned or related to this episode:

• How I got from a total city girl to immersed in farming https://groundedbythefarm.com/how-i-got-here/
• Rice farming, youtube & more with Matthew Sligar https://groundedbythefarm.com/rice-farmer/
• Bailey Farms peppers episode https://groundedbythefarm.com/how-americans-love-of-spicy-food-gave-this-farm-room-to-grow/
• Remember checking things through the state department of agriculture is how Christian Spears found local farmers for Tennessee Brew Works https://groundedbythefarm.com/crafting-a-beer-that-has-a-depth-of-local-flavor-connecting-to-farmers/
• What’s happening in ag / on the Farm with covid-19 episode with Happy Trails https://groundedbythefarm.com/americas-food-system/
• Marybeth Feutz talks about beef in two episodes https://groundedbythefarm.com/picking-out-steaks-under-appreciated-cuts-of-beef-part-1-feutz/ and https://groundedbythefarm.com/caring-for-beef-cattle/
• Looking for the perfect avocado — https://groundedbythefarm.com/the-perfect-avocado/

Other Sites/Resources Mentioned:

Meeting farmers, getting to know what they are like — includes photo of the Turkish farmer mentioned https://jploveslife.com/agriculture/ag-awareness/what-are-farmers-like/

Photos of information about dragonfruit plants https://www.gardenloversclub.com/ornamental/cacti-succulents/dragon-fruit/dragon-fruit-plant-care/

artichokes. https://artichokes.org/artichoke-farms also great recipes and information available at https://www.oceanmist.com/products/artichokes

pineapples.

Pages about some of the interesting commodities (artichokes.org mentioned above is actually an example

• Watermelon. https://www.watermelon.org/
• Pulses (lentils, chickpeas, etc) https://www.usapulses.org/
• Dairy https://www.usdairy.com/
• Beef https://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/
• Bison https://bisoncentral.com/bison-nutrition-cooking/   

A few of the state agriculture outreach websites:

• Got to be NC Agriculture https://gottobenc.com/
• Pick Tennessee https://www.picktnproducts.org/
• Missouri Grown https://missourigrownusa.com/
• Pure Michigan https://www.michigan.org/farms-and-cider-mills
• Illinois Farmers Markets Association map page https://www.ilfma.org/illinois-markets/ilfma-markets

My allergy to and fear of bees https://jploveslife.com/food/learning-about-bees-conquering-fear-video/

Learning about a down cow https://www.dairycarrie.com/2013/12/09/cowabuse/

Ground beef buyers guide  https://www.myfearlesskitchen.com/ground-beef-buyers-guide/

Check out this episode!

The post You Asked the Questions, Janice Gives Some Answers! appeared first on Grounded by the Farm.

When you search for Dino Giacomazzi online, you find a farmer who is focused on the environment. You also read a lot about dairy farming, but last year, the Giacomazzi family sold the cows & shifted their focus to crops including the almonds they had nurtured for the past five years. Dino shares how that came to happen and how environmental sustainability learned in the dairy is leading to innovation in reducing water use. He also has sons (12 yr old Miro & 7 yr old Gio) join us to discuss the new business they started while out of school due to the corona virus.

Growing Almonds — Two of the Hottest Topics

Dino says he’s known people ask certain questions about almonds, but the family’s move to a direct supplier – customer means he gets those questions more directly. Appreciate his addressing the question of bee health and water use as both topics have been discussed widely but rarely include a farmer’s voice.

What Growing Almonds Looks Like

Millions of Americans eat almonds, but only a few of us have ever been lucky enough to go visit an almond farm. This post provides photos and videos that will help you visualize almond trees and get a feel for farms like the Giacomazzis.

Links mentioned in the podcast:

• Blog post that includes a look at almond trees at various times of year 
• Buying almonds from the Giacomazzi Brothers or GBNuts.com
• Video of Dino and his father Don on the dairy farm with a post I wrote while visiting years ago
• Article highlighting some of the environmental work in almonds Dino is doing
• Video of the Giacomazzi Brothers 
• Nut milking exposed video (so funny) 

Other links of interest:

https://californiagrown.org/blog/meet-a-farmer-dino-giacomazzi-of-giacomazzi-dairy/

Subscribe So You Don’t Miss an Episode

• Apple podcast — Grounded by the Farm  
• Spotify for Grounded by the Farm 
• Google podcast link to Grounded by the Farm 
• Libysn is where we host so we can also be found there 

The post Growing Almonds and Starting a Flavored Almonds Business appeared first on Grounded by the Farm.

Looking at beef, most of us see more than just the food on our plates. We frequently want to know how farmers caring for beef cattle, the ways cattle impact the environment and more. That got us to do a second interview with farmer and veterinarian Marybeth Feutz. The previous episode we talked steaks, burgers, types of cattle and animal use/waste.  And although she introduced us to her cattle and we talked about feed in the video, we wanted to go deeper.

Caring for Beef Cattle

My nieces & nephews helped me create a list of questions to ask Marybeth and several of the questions focused on caring for livestock.

Since one nephew told me he had noticed differences in animals that faced stress as he worked in a butcher shop, that was among the first topics. Marybeth says there are four things farmers do to minimize stress for the cattle they care for food, water, shelter and protection. 

Food for Beef Cattle

Marybeth did a great job of explaining how they feed their cows. Cattle are generally on pasture a large part of the year — they love grazing. It is easy to see that lack of food would provide stress on the animal and it’s health. Pasturing makes this pretty easy some times of year but you also have to consider the winter, etc and how much you need to supplement with feeding hay, etc. 

Clean Water

The Feutz family has a few pastures, and each needs to have water easily available. Marybeth says a typical cow can drink 50 gallons pretty quick! It’s important to have good wells, keep an eye on pumps, deal with the challenge of freezing, etc.

Shelter for Cattle

With seasonal weather patterns, farmers look at how to keep cattle comfortable. While they generally like to be left alone in the herd, providing windbreaks for winter cold can be vital. And shade for summer high temps is also a focus. For farmers like the Feutz that have a small heard, the cattle may even have a shed available though they typically prefer to be outside unless it really is extreme.

Protection from Predators

Marybeth doesn’t pull punches as she talks about the damage predators can do. Whether you are talking about coyotes or black vultures, the potential for them to get a calf away from the herd would be painful. For the Feutz, keeping the cattle in a pasture close to the house with people and traffic, predators stay away. Many farmers have dogs that help protect the dogs and move them from place to place.

Dealing with Injury & Preventing Illness

We discuss the health and care for beef cattle, how the decision differs from pets. Farmers need to weigh the animals potential recovery and quality of life which frequently is different than we have with pets. While we think of a broken leg as something simple, it can create intense issues for a cow and how the herd mentality and need to keep moving really makes recuperation near impossible.

And while I won’t lie, I’ve had flies or mosquitoes ruin a picnic or afternoon, the attraction of flies to cattle, manure, etc can mean overwhelming numbers. And those flies can carry diseases or bacteria. They can bother cattle so much that eventually the cattle avoid water or food, so, yeah that’s bad. 

Vaccinations are important in cattle too and Marybeth says some of the primary vaccines given are for respiratory viruses. It’s pretty common for animals to have issues and they even have a few corona viruses that cattle can get — no worries though it isn’t the same or transferable from humans to cattle or vice versa.

What’s the Deal with Veal?

We got to talk a bit about veal production and how that works. Marybeth spent time in school outside of Boston and remembers a lot of people being against veal. I on the other hand lived in an Italian community in New York where veal was highly desirable. Both of us have heard things about animal care, but Marybeth’s opinion has changed as she’s met veal farmers and come to understand how they treat animals.

The meat is different for a couple of reasons 1) veal calves are raised on milk so the meat stays a light pink color and 2) the calves have smaller areas to walk around in and consequently don’t get as intense muscular build so even short ribs are more tender. She went on to explain why different cuts of meat on an animal may be more or less tender — think about filet mignon placement along the top of the back vs short ribs which are part of the core or the animal’s six-pack.

Cow Farts & Climate

If you have heard anything about cattle and the environment, you have probably heard about methane from cow farts. Well, Marybeth clarifies that cattle release more of the methane from burps not cow farts. I can’t help but think that cow burps don’t sound as interesting to get someone to click or talk about the idea. The burps are methane releases from the fermentation process that naturally happens in the rumen — in fact, all fermentation puts out gas, you may remember that from our video from visiting Tennessee Brewworks. Marybeth says she frequently see information online can be incredibly misleading because animal agriculture has such a small impact on climate and carbon, especially when compared to the various pieces of the energy and transportation.

Since a lot of people are interested in going deeper, I thought you may be interested in some of the experts on sustainability and the impact of animal agriculture. Here are just a couple of the researchers I’ve met in this area:

• Dr. Jude Capper https://twitter.com/Bovidiva and https://bovidiva.com/
• Dr. Alison Van Eenennaam https://twitter.com/BioBeef and https://animalscience.ucdavis.edu/people/faculty/alison-van-eenennaam

Managing Manure, No BS

The Feutz’s put in a new containment area & are using composted manure for the fertilizer it provides. She said it not only helps crops grow but managing manure is one piece of caring for beef cattle. They are using it on their farm, the family’s garden and are donating some to an educational farm nearby called Lyles Station lylesstation.com. Lyles Station was one of the first African American farming communities in the state and still runs a lot of programs to help children understand history, our food and more. Lyles Station is even marked as an Indiana Landmark! 

Cow Attachment Issues

We talk a bit about getting attached to cows and knowing when it is their time which is different in a cow-calf herd like the Feutz’s versus steers raised for beef. In a cow-calf operation, Marybeth explains that farmers have cows for 15 maybe even 20 years sometimes whereas raising steers is usual a year or a year and a half. She & the rest of the family are especially attached to Michelle who was born on inauguration day in 2009 along with a bull calf they named Barack. Michelle is a great mom and looks after other cows calves almost like day care. Marybeth knows it will be hard to lose Michelle, but also understands they are here for a purpose and need to serve the purposes they can. 

Final Thoughts — Cowboy Boots & Recipes

Since nieces and nephews helped, one wanted to know about cowboy boots. Marybeth laughed saying she only has two pairs of cowboy boots. She usually wears knee-high rubber boots when she’s out in the field with livestock and Danskos when she’s in the office or hospital cause standing all day gets old fast in uncomfortable shoes. Her husband, like many farmers wears work boots like Red Wings. I find in too funny as I hadn’t had cowboy boots until I thought I earned them. I bought one pair when I first attended a national livestock show and again when I went to the Dakotas and worked cows by helping give calves vaccines one day and weaning calves at another farm later. 

As if Marybeth isn’t busy enough with a farm & caring for beef cattle or the veterinary practice, she also has a food blog called My Fearless Kitchen where she shares simple recipes and tips for shopping. She and friends also have a Facebook group called Recipes from the Farm. Here are a few we talked about:

You’ll remember her love of short ribs!

• Slow-Cooked Short Ribs
• Sweet Onion Teriyaki Short Ribs
• Garlic Herb Short Ribs

She also has a ground beef buyer’s guide that helps you think through the ground beef you want for tacos versus meatloaf, etc. And one post provides 79 recipes you can make with ground beef!

I also mentioned the instant pot beeping in the background as the red beans and rice I was making notified me it was time to eat!

Please note:  This was the first time to do an interview via web conference. I have a bit of a learning curve with this set up when it comes to audio. I plan to keep increasing the quality in the coming remote interviews as travel is curbed in light of the corona virus. 

The post Caring for Beef Cattle, The Planet & Our Communities — Marybeth Feutz Part 2 appeared first on Grounded by the Farm.

My family loves food and beef is one we seem to especially love. In our midst, we’ve got people who’ve worked in grocery stores, butcher shops, have gone to culinary school as well as some of us who just love food.

This episode of Grounded by the Farm takes a bit of a different path as Marybeth Feutz discusses beef and her Indiana cow-calf operation with us.

One of those differences was planned — rather than ask questions I had, I asked several millennial nieces and nephews to give me their questions and they loved making me ask questions that would make me feel awkward while also getting info they were interested in.

The other difference was far more awkward in that we somehow encountered a tech issue halfway through the interview that wasn’t caught til we were in editing. It’s a hard lesson learned but we’ll be fine with a two-part episode.

Getting to Know Marybeth Feutz, Farmer & Vet

Marybeth grew up in the suburbs of New York City — West Milford, NJ to be exact. She met John while in vet school and eventually, he convinced her to marry him and call the midwest home.

She is a large animal vet whereas John works as a “mixed animal vet” meaning he can work on pets like chihuahuas or livestock. Marybeth says she likes working with horses the most.

They have a small herd of black Angus cows as we showed in the video earlier this week.   

Cooking & Serving Steak

No doubt, my nephew will be thrilled with getting me to ask a farmer “What brand of ketchup do you recommend on a well-done steak?” Cause it started the interview off with the most awkward pause ever. I wish I had thought to get video. She ultimately said she was probably as red as the steak should be!

So I reworded it, asking how she recommends steak be cooked and why. She likes steaks medium rare whereas John want it to simply pass the flames to be as rare as possible! Then she explained that there are differences in how people and restaurants rate temperatures, etc so you really are best to ask for a cool red center.

The more you cook a steak, the more moisture it loses. That moisture is fat and that means you are also losing the flavor Marybeth explains. That dry, chewiness is part of the reason people may not like steak.

As for condiments, she says she will occasionally use something like A1 but usually if you have a good piece of meat and cook it right, you shouldn’t need condiments for flavor.

Marybeth usually uses the salt-pepper family of seasonings (sometimes lemon-pepper) and occasionally a rub. A few years ago she started using a compound butter, either purchased or homemade with some salt, herbs, etc. But compound butter is awesome whether you cook in cast iron or on the grill or whatever.

Buying Steaks

For the summer grilling season, Marybeth recommends ribeyes, t-bones or filets and says you want to look for some marbling in the meat as well as fat on the outsides. But she says the thickness of filets can be challenging for someone new to grilling so you may want to stay with the t-bone or ribeye. And since she likes a bone-in, she likes the cowboy cut ribeye. Boneless is fine too. She looks for consistent red coloring in the meat along with the marbling.

What about burgers?

There are still asterisks on burgers on the menu frequently when it comes to temperature and Marybeth says those reflect USDA guidance for food safety.  She typically cooks burgers at home with a hint of pink or light brown throughout. She has a cheat magnet on the fridge that says it is 165 degrees. 

Types of Cattle — Beef vs Dairy

Marybeth says beef cattle are built strong, sturdy to just go out and have a good time a lot like Labrador retrievers in the dog world. But dairy cows are leaner, more focused on milk production — a bit more like greyhounds are for racing.

Because dairy cows are so good for milk, the types of food dairy cows gets need to be different. The energy required is different. Kind of like women need different things while pregnant and nursing. This is so important that many dairy farms hire nutritionists to supplement vet resources.

Beef cows are focused on muscle mass and having calves. That muscle mass is what becomes the meat we eat.

Dairy steers are an interesting difference though since the breeds tend to be thinner, lankier and yet dairy steers are raised for the beef since they aren’t milk producers. These cattle are tall and skinny, but rarely bulky enough to yield thick cut steaks, etc and are usually used for ground beef, she said. It doesn’t get the same marbling or volume. You may remember a previous post discussing blended burgers using mushrooms to infuse moisture. 

The Lingo Cows, Heifers, Bulls and Steers

All that discussion reminded me that cows isn’t the generic name for al of them, its cattle is the umbrella term.

In the video, Marybeth explained theirs is a cow-calf operation. Cows are the mommas and are focused on having & raising calves. The girls they have are called heifers until they have calves of their own. The boys are usually castrated becoming steers for the beef market although a few become bulls to keep the herds producing.

What’s an under appreciated cut of beef?

The most under appreciated cut of beef Marybeth says is the short-rib. They need to be braised, not a grilling cut. You cook those all day and get so amazingly tender. It’s a fattier cut and a bit tougher to start, but that connective tissue, when it is cooked out slowly becomes like butter. She certainly made me hungry just talking about it!

How much of the animal is wasted versus used?

Marybeth points out that in the cattle industry people talk about two different numbers — live weight and rail weight. The rail weight is what you have once you removed the rumen and the rest of the gastro-intestinal tract. There are some parts that really aren’t used for food for people. There is very little waste, probably less than 20 percent.

Get More

Next time on Grounded by the Farm, more of the conversation about beef with Marybeth.  If you want to add a question or two, please don’t hesitate to drop me a line!

Video of Marybeth talking about the cows, their feed, etc. 

Marybeth’s blog My Fearless Kitchen and includes great posts about the foods she enjoys cooking with and shares some of the insight she has as a farmer and vet.

The post Picking Out Steaks & Under-Appreciated Cuts of Beef with a Farmer & Vet appeared first on Grounded by the Farm.

As a child, I remember mushrooms usually being in cans or bottles — never fresh mushrooms. But today most US farmers grow for the fresh market. It was a shift that really started in the 1970s and was a way for the US farmer to be a preferred source in the global fresh mushroom market. There is some cannery mushrooms. Those are usually mushrooms that don’t meet fresh standards usually. They are a byproduct, a way to use some now that may be wasted. 

Types of Fresh Mushrooms J-M Grows

These mushrooms have gotten a lot of investment and that has helped make them easier to grow consistently that people will really enjoy. But there are other mushrooms that are getting more investment now too. 

The Right Place for a Growing Family Business

Food Safety Developments

Creating Compost 

Making compost is the part of the process which can be most impacted by weather with rain, heat, cold, drought all impacting the recipe J-M uses. 

Spawns Not Spores

Key Links

• Video from a tour inside J-M Farms 
• JP’s first visit to J-M and answering a lot of questions about mushrooms 
• Find J-M Farms online jrfarms.com, on Instagram at  and on Facebook.

The post Fresh Mushrooms for the Middle of the Country appeared first on Grounded by the Farm.

Peppers are a food that spark a lot of passion and nowhere is that more clear than with Bailey Farms. Randy Bailey started the farm in Oxford, NC as a young adult knowing how much he enjoyed the spicy foods a friend’s mom cooked. That was in the 1980s and American food culture has certainly embraced the various Latin foods and the specialty peppers category has grown with grocery stores and farms like the Baileys’. They grow a beautiful range of peppers as you can see in the video tour of their facility.

I first met Randy, Debbie and their young son Ryan on the family’s Bonita Springs, Florida farm that enables them to get multiple growing seasons in a year. My memory is strong because I smelled the poblanos and almost immediately craved a chili relleno! In fact, the memory of that alone made me go to a nearby taqueria the day I was editing this episode of the podcast!

To me it was a physical sensation and while I feel certain it was a natural high, Randy said it was probably the combination of memory and the fragrance of poblanos. While that strikes a note for me and Randy agrees there is nothing bad about a poblano — meat, cheese and a pepper, what’s not to like? He keeps serrano peppers in his pocket frequently just to add a bit of flavor to a burger or whatever.

How Bailey Farms Started Growing Peppers

When they first started, they would grow the 3-4 months the North Carolina farm let them grow. And they wanted to grow so they started contracting with other farmers. Eventually they also bought farms in Florida. The Baileys grow, pack and distribute peppers to get them to retailers and more.

Randy’s dad loved farming although he worked professionally as a chemist. But his passion for agriculture and Randy’s love of the spicy foods a friend’s mom made, led them to specializing in peppers. His best friend growing up had parent’s who immigrated from Mexico and it wasn’t as common in the eastern US.

As the US demographics shifted in the 90s, Bailey Farms grew with it, selling more peppers and a wider range of specialty peppers. More recently, a diverse flavor palate and some of the impacts of social media have fueled more growth.

Fresh Market & Reducing Food Waste

While the Baileys are focused on fresh market peppers — the kind we all buy in the produce section of our local grocery — they also look for innovative ways to reduce food waste.

They have secondary markets that take some of the peppers with stress marks on the fruit and with some of the damaged peppers, they have been making hot sauce. He laughs and points out that is a crowded segment but it is a ways to cook up some of the peppers that would otherwise not be used. They also do some dried peppers with a cooperator.

And at times, when they have more inventory than the market needs, product gets donated to the local food banks, providing residents in need with fresh produce. I actually spent time in a Feeding America site in Florida to cull damaged product a few years ago.

A Range of Specialty Peppers

Randy laughs and says he and Debbie go in phases with how they use peppers at home. Right now they are eating low carb so they stuff a lot of peppers. They do a cheese steak stuffed, cheeseburger stuffed, Mexican stuffed… all kinds of things. They have more than 4,000 recipes on how to use specialty peppers on their website BaileyFarmsInc.com so they always have ideas!

Specialty peppers include a range of flavors and heat and Randy points out the Baileys do a number of sweet peppers as well as the hotter ones.

The Scoville scale was introduced about a hundred years ago to help people understand the spicy heat peppers have. Since the 1980s, lab testing has brought a depth of scientific knowledge to the scale. Jalapeños are 2,000-8,000 units on the scale. Habaneros are 100,000 to 300,000 but there are some hybrids that have lower heat and yet the flavor. The ghost peppers and Carolina Reapers really leave those in the dust.

Peppers is a growing category. Green peppers are high in vitamin c. And the red and yellows are high in vitamin a which is good for eyesight.

And the Baileys are always looking for the next thing. He says they currently have close to 200 varieties/hybrids they are looking at in the field. There is a lot of breeding in peppers — more than ever before. They look for product taste, productivity, flavor and more. He is excited to have a new sweet pepper with habanero background in it. It’s only a single color and the color diversity is so nice. Has a great crunch!

Universities and private companies are really moving things along to develop new peppers faster. For home gardeners, the All-America Selections typically are widely adapted for a variety of growing regions. (One of my favorites to grow at home is the Sweet Sunset.)

Lots of Logistics when Growing Peppers in Multiple States

Having farms in multiple states presents a few challenges Randy says — the biggest come as you transition working from one state to another. He can find his farm work wrapping up at one place, going full steam at another and just beginning in a third location.

They begin harvesting specialty peppers in October on some farms and keep transitioning through late spring. They plant 22 weeks straight at the farm in South Florida to keep harvest rolling in. The supply chain is hard, but mother nature also throws a wrench or two into it now and then. They don’t ever want to find a customer order they can’t meet.

They ship to around 10,000 grocery stores throughout the southeast, northeast and midwest.

Using Integrated Methods to Control Pests

Growing peppers by acres rather than plants presents farmers with some different challenges than home gardeners, Randy says. They do what they can to keep the beneficial insects by planting other things like sunflowers that can attract the damaging pests away from the peppers or can help provide hosts for the good bugs.

There are a lot of diseases, insects and more that will eat plants… Randy points out that even deer can present issues in the field. They try to find the least invasive ways to control all pests and have even gone to trying air cannons and erecting fences!

With all of that, weather and labor are two of the biggest challenges vegetable farmers like Randy face. Weather has always been weather but labor is the worst it has ever been he says.

Some local help works with the Baileys but the seasonality means recruiting workers and sponsoring H2A visas for them. The hand harvesting comes with red tape and costs. The cost of doing that and competing on a global market with farmers in places that don’t pay US wage rates.

If Florida gets cold or a hurricane takes out some of the market, the Baileys import product to cover orders.

Links to Learn More about Specialty Peppers

Video of Bailey Farms peppers on farm, packing and shipping

Scoville scale:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scoville_scale

Bailey Farms website:  baileyfarmsinc.com

Bailey Farms Instagram

Bailey Farms on Facebook

The post How Americans Love of Spicy Food Gave Specialty Peppers Room to Grow appeared first on Grounded by the Farm.

This interview with Virginia farmer and ham expert, DeeDee Darden takes place in Smithfield, Virginia where the family raises cotton & corn and maintains the family smokehouse where they salt cure hams the way it was done decades ago.

She explains the almost year-long process of salt curing and smoking hams to get the color and taste that is so desirable. As well as some of the history around Virginia and Smithfield hams in particular.

DeeDee also shows us around the family’s farm, telling us about the fall visits by many school groups in the area. Hosting school groups provides a chance for children to learn about cotton (even checking out a cotton picker, playing in corn boxes, seeing various animals, taking a hay ride and picking out the perfect pumpkin in the field!

DeeDee mentioned an element of laughter with cotton underwear used to provide insight on where clothes come from. I have long blogged about cotton on a site called HundredPercentCotton.com and had to explain how other cotton farmers soil their undies to demonstrate soil health.

Taking a tour of the smokehouse is a highlight for my visit for sure! She also shows us around the farm — animals she shares with kids and we discuss crops planted. And you get to see the store inside.

You can check out the Darden Country Store Facebook page at visit the Darden Country Store website.

The post What makes Virginia hams so legendary? DeeDee Darden explains her family’s traditions appeared first on Grounded by the Farm.