Pepper Farm that Provides A Full Slate of Peppers

Peppers are one of those foods that people are really passionate about. And Randy Bailey is definitely a pepper person. He’s passionate enough that he started a pepper farm and this video provides us a short glance at Bailey Farms Inc. It is a family farm that has grown since it started in the 80s and now warehouses, packs and ships a range of peppers. I stopped by the Oxford, NC headquarters facilities where one of the members of the team — Paul Strasser — shows us around and opens up the world of peppers for us.

I met the Bailey family years ago and have had the chance to visit their pepper farms a few times. As he says on their website, he appreciates that more people want to know more about the foods they put on their plates. So he has hosted bloggers and the like (Leanette did a great post about her visit to the Florida farm and still tells me how this experience helped her family start eating more vegetables.

Randy and I recorded the episode for this week’s podcast, and net thing we knew there was something that needed his attention that called him away. Luckily, Paul was a perfect stand-in for the tour and helped em understand some of the types of peppers that the Bailey team works with.

Some of the peppers grown on the farm or others the Bailey contract with for shipping & distribution include:

• Bell peppers, both full size and miniature — these have a wide spread geography and can be used for a range of things from stuffed peppers to snacking.
• Jalapeños — A great basic pepper… use these often.
• Cherry bombs — Another medium pepper — Paul has a friend that makes a great Jamaican salsa with these!
• Serrano — One of Randy’s favorites… says he keeps a few in his pocket to spice up food on the regular.
• Shishito — I haven’t used these much but Paul points out that some of the trendy restaurants are beginning to flash fry these and serve them with some balsamic vinegar and I am dying to try that!
• Habaneros — These are too hot for me but my nephew loves them and all the pepper sauces!
• Ghost peppers — Another one that is too hot for me but Paul loves them. He says he makes salsa with them and his wife makes poppers with them like other people do jalapeños!

I love that Debbie Bailey has put together a website that showcases some of the family’s pepper farm as well as an amazing depth of recipes for all things peppers! You will definitely want to check out BaileyFarmsInc.com and their Bailey Farms Instagram or Bailey Farms on Facebook.

And if you are in the eastern half of the United States, you may well see their logo in the store if you take a look. I know I catch them now and then here in St. Louis as well as when I visit family!