Page last updated on April 8, 2025 at 10:26 pm
Chiles are a wonderful crop, as beautiful as they are delicious. There are over 3,000 varieties but few were available commercially. I started my business in 1992 to help preserve biogenetic diversity by keeping rare strains alive. I ship chile pepper, sweet pepper, tomato and tomatillo plants nationwide to help spread biodiversity. My greenhouses and fields are Hoosierganic; I use only natural and sustainable methods. This year I have over 2,000 chile pepper varieties in my own personal Svaalsbard seed bank.
We were struck by a tornado in May 2011 and while I listened to the sounds of destruction outside from my tornado room, I sent out a plea to spare my seed bank refrigerator. It was undamaged, thank you chile gods. While we had major damage and loss, we were lucky overall. I did not lose everything and I am alive and well and am eager to continue growing more and more varieties of chiles. The tornado also paved the way to a long-held dream. With the loss of my old growth tree cover came the possibility to install solar panels. The panels have been installed and The Chile Woman is now run by the power of the sun.
Terry and I love to have people come to the greenhouse and visit with us. Petey, our llama, and his Jacob sheep will be at the gate to greet you.