When you imagine a typical farmers market, you probably think of growers selling ordinary fruits and vegetables. Janet Robinson breaks the mold with her spicy creations.
Robinson owns the Piper’s Peck which turns hot peppers into salsa, sauces, and hot pepper jelly. The business, operated out of her Bellefonte farm home, has become a staple at the Downtown Farmers Market in State College every Friday from late May through October.
The long-time Bellefonte native got her start in farming back in 1998 when she was working as a homemaker. Once a teacher, she left the classroom to raise her two children, Seth and Janine.
“My husband [Tim] told me that some area restaurants were interested in hot peppers,” says Robinson. “I had a small vegetable garden at the time, so I figured I’d give it a shot.”
Growing the peppers was a success, but Robinson knew if she wanted to grow a business, she would have to go in a different direction.
“When the restaurants needed fresh stuff, you didn’t have it. When you had it, they didn’t need it. It was a case where they wouldn’t call you. You had to reach out to them, and I just wasn’t making enough money that way.”
Robinson then decided instead of just growing peppers, she would start her own line of pepper products. She started off at the Bellefonte Farmers Market in 1998 and has been at the State College Farmers Market since 2001.
Currently, she offers seven different salsas and sauces, six varieties of hot pepper jelly, old-fashioned relish, and even fudge. Most of her products cost between $5 and $8 except for fudge which is 65 cents for a piece or $4.50 for half a pound.
Robinson explains that hot pepper jelly can be used with cream cheese and crackers as a snack. That’s not the only purpose though.
“Some people like to use it as a glaze when cooking or mix it with stir fry. It’s real consistent, and they like the texture of it.”
There was a time when some of these products were foreign to a lot of people, including Robinson herself.
“I grew up in a small town called Olean, New York. I wasn’t used to hot stuff, but it’s become a lot more popular recently. The northeast isn’t known for salsa, but it’s becoming more popular. Maybe some customers were surprised when I just started out, but a lot more people are starting to branch out with different products now. Salsa is real hit with the students too. I get a lot of student buyers once they get back to school.”
She is sure to offer free samples to anyone who visits the market.
“Everyone has a different definition of hot, so I let them decide for themselves what they want.”
Running her business and maintaining the farm is a year-round job.
Every year, Robinson plants 1,000 hot peppers, 300 tomatoes, and 200 sweet peppers. This process usually begins around the end of May “when all danger of frost has passed.” Through July, she uses mostly frozen products until her harvest is complete.
A typical workday on the farm runs for about eight hours, and Robinson likes the flexibility that it offers.
“I’m not a real early riser. I’ll usually get started around 10 a.m. and work until around 6 p.m. when my husband, who teaches at Penn State, gets home from work.”
Even after the Friday market ends in October, there is still some work to be done. Robinson allows customers to order online, so she always needs to have jars ready. When things get a bit quieter in January, Robinson does some substitute teaching in the Bellefonte and Bald Eagle School Districts.
There was a time in 2005 when Robinson even thought about going back to teach full-time. She ultimately decided against it.
“September and October are some of my busiest months with the market season winding down. I decided to stick with this.”
Now, she has huge patches of crops growing in her vast backyard. Robinson also grows some raspberries and apples for her family. She even has some chickens running around the yard and laying eggs.
This labor of love has been running for fifteen years and Robinson plans to keep going.
“I love being here and I love doing this.”
More information can be found on the Piper’s Peck official website by clicking HERE.
