Pepper Boys Farm Has a Home at the Market
Monticello’s Market on the Square is back up and running for summer Saturdays bringing shoppers goods that make their taste buds tingle and put their minds at ease. Most of the vendors that adorn the Square’s lawn have become familiar faces with goods many look for every week like fresh green tomatoes, bell peppers, peaches, watermelons, and even fried pies.
Pepper Boy Farms, owned and operated by Edward and Erica Johnson, have become a couple of those familiar faces. Their booth offers a plethora of produce from hot peppers and kale to peaches just off the tree and fresh cut fruit cups—all that comes with delivery service on Fridays and Saturdays throughout Jasper, Walton, Newton, and Rockdale counties.
The young couple have an entertaining background that began as high school sweethearts in Newton that led them to their Shady Dale farm in 2007 where their goods are grown. After marriage and giving birth to the first of their three children—-Eadson (8), Edison (5), and Elivia (1), Erica said as a new mother she became very concerned about what her young son was eating and wanted to make sure that he was getting the proper nutrients through wholesome fresh grown goods.
“We wanted good healthy food our family,” she noted.
So the Johnson’s eating dynamic evolved to fresh grown goods from their own garden.
They joined the Market on the Square in 2014 wanting to share their goods with others.
Edward said that Pepper Boy Farms as a business started with the concept of offering a petting zoo for the kids but as the garden grew and produce activity increased so did the scope of business and he has his eyes on so much more for the business and the community.
“We love living in Jasper County.”
The Johnsons partner in the venture much like they do in their marriage. Up until February Erica and Edward both held full-time jobs outside of Jasper while managing the farm and the needs of their young children. After years of commuting to work in the Newton and Rockdale counties as an employee in the tag office, the Johnsons decided that Erica would begin working for Pepper Boy full-time in an effort to be more available for the kids and grow the business to where they believe it can grow. Edward maintains his work in construction with a company that understands his commitment to his farm and family and thereby affords him the daylight time to attend to his farming duties.
So as it is Erica covers the day to day management and organization and it is her face you will likely see when accepting deliveries and Edward tends to the gardens making sure all is well. Pepper Boy Farms has a social media presence through which customers can place orders with various forms of payments including paypal. If you can’t make it to market on Saturday mornings look for their Facebook page and website at www.PepperBoyFarm.com.
