Farmer Profiles

"Robert & Carol Farr"
The Chile Man, Purcellville, VA

"The most important business move we've made is to involve our customers in our success through open houses and volunteer work days."

The Chile Man, Robert Farr, shows off his hot sauces created from home grown peppers.

Farming Operation:   Robert and Carol grow more than 80 varieties of peppers - over 70 of them hot - as well as an assortment of herbs, flowers, and vegetables on 10 cres in Loudon County, Virginia. They specialize in value-added production, turning their peppers into hot sauces, salsas, barbeque sauces, and mustards, and expect to pick at least 500,000 peppers this season. They follow bio-intensive farming methods, and though not yet certified organic, follow organic growing principles.

Marketing:   Robert and Carol sell products under The Chile Man label at regional craft fairs and wine & beer festivals;by mail order; online at www.thechileman.com;and in gourment food and specialty shops from suburban Maryland to Richmond, Va. The Chile Man products are also available for corporate gifts or marketing promotions.

Information Sources:   Robert and Carol's favorite books include How to Grow more Vegetables by John Jeavons; The New Organic Grower by Eliot Coleman; Rodale's Organic Gardening; and the Stella Natura planting calendar. They also consider other growers, Allan Balliet's yearly Biodyanamic Farming and Gardening Conference, and two grandfathers who were farmers to be importanat sources of information and inspiration.

Sources of Pride:   Robert and Carol say, "We are proud of leaving the corporate world and starting a profitable value-added farm business -- and being able to take the marketing skills we once used for other people and use them for ourselves! Of course, we're also proud of what we're doing with the land -- transforming these acres of pasture from dry, empty, and unfertile to a healthy, thriving, organic eco-system. Finally, we are proud of our customer service.

Contact:   Robert and Carol Farr, P.O. Box 561, Round Hill, VA; phone 540-668-7160
email rbfarr@erols.com; or on the internet at www.thechileman.com.

Profiles of rural innovation