by Kanoelani Pilobello
Meggie’s Farm is a form of therapy for John and Kris Maguire. After a career in the jewelry industry, the couple was pulled out of retirement when a friend, who also happened to be a restauranteur, asked them to start growing Korean hot peppers.
Since then, the three-acre Rehoboth, MA, farm (founded in 2008) has grown to include several types of specialty hot peppers, garlic, and small-batch crops that not only have a story, but bring the flavors of the far-away places from which they originated to the fore. The Puya pepper from central Mexico, Hungarian paprika, and white cayenne are just some of the hot peppers grown at Meggie’s Farm.
Photo courtesy Meggie’s Farm on Facebook.
John thinks of their product as the pigment used by painters to create works of art, or in this case, chefs at some of the finest restaurants in Rhode Island including Market Mobile customers Hemenways, Trio, and Al Forno. Much like the cadmium yellow that makes Van Gogh’s Starry Night painting so memorable, each hot pepper type has a distinct flavor profile that adds dimension to a dish that rarely can be substituted.
Kris and John focus on creating a high-quality product. Their hot peppers and garlic can be purchased at select retailers in the area, including Formaggio Kitchen and Curio Spice Co. (both in Cambridge, MA) and The Pantry at Avenue N American Kitchen (in Rumford, RI).
Meggie’s Farm reaches wholesale buyers like these across Rhode Island and the Boston-metro area with help from our Market Mobile wholesale distribution service — freeing Kris and John to focus on doing the thing they love most — family farming.
Photo courtesy Meggie’s Farm on Facebook.
Kanoelani Pilobello is a scientist by training and an advocate at heart. She enjoys travel, learning new things and is, in some respects, a foodie.
