Photograph by Jay L. Clendenin/Polaris
Photo Essay: Fields of Dreams
The Chile Man
Loudon County, VA
Robert and Carol Farr in the garden of their farm, where they grow 70 different chile peppers, including Red Savina, the hottest pepper in the world.
- Where: Loudon County, VA
- Who: Robert Farr, 46, and Carol Farr, 44
- Revenues: $200,000
- Employees: 3
- Past Life: Robert was in marketing; Carol was a designer
- How it Began: Robert's grandparents were farmers. As a child, he put hot sauce on everything he ate
- Preparation: Grew peppers part-time for 13 years, read, and took classes to get certified to can food
- Began: 1997
- Broke Even: Right away
- Favorite Thing: Working and living in the same place
- Biggest Challenge: Being too busy, but not quite making enough money to hire more help