Small Axe Peppers Expands Community Garden Program
BRONX, N.Y. — Small Axe Peppers the company behind “The Bronx Hot Sauce” and “Queens 7 Hot Sauce,” is expanding their economic model across the country, allowing consumers to directly support community gardens throughout the United States of America with each purchase of the Small Axe Peppers hot sauces. In 2018, 7 new gardens in 5 new states will be participating. Now, consumers in all these markets to support their local treasures.
Small Axe Peppers is releasing several new flavors — Mango-Habanero, Ghost Pepper and a Ginger Habanero that coincide with this new footprint. The consumer can now enjoy five distinct flavor profiles across the heat spectrum from very hot to sweet heat while supporting local community gardens.
Community gardens in San Diego, Tucson, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Sacramento, Charlottesville, Hartford, and New Haven will be participating in the program. The gardens in the Bronx and Queens will continue to grow peppers as they have done for the past three years. Every garden has their own unique story serving the varied people that live and work in these other cities.
“It’s amazing that what started in one community garden in the Bronx is now going national, said Marcel Van Ooyen, President of GrowNYC. “Small Axe Peppers is a true triple bottom line business, improving the environment, giving back to the community and making a fantastic product. We look forward to the new sauces being as delicious and successful as the original Greenmarket Hot Sauce.”
Small Axe Peppers model starts at the beginning of the growing season by donating seeds or seedlings to participating gardeners. If the gardens and gardeners elect to sell them back, Small Axe will pay the gardeners an above market price for the peppers. Those proceeds help preserve and protect the gardens and the programming offered to the community. This model offers real autonomy and a dedicated stream of income to the gardeners who are very good at making a small amount of cash go a long way.
“From the first meeting we had with GrowNYC four years ago devising our plan to launch to where we are today is a reflection of how well this model and product offering has been received by consumers, gardeners and all the other community partners,” said John A. Crotty, EVP of Strategic Growth. “Today’s social conscience consumer demands that the companies and firms they support are aligned with their values. Small Axe Peppers model is at the forefront of perfectly aligning traditional commerce with vital and impactful community work”
The rebranded website, www.smallaxepeppers.com, allows the public to read about some of the participating gardens in a few of the new cities. It is also currently the only place to order the new hot sauces.
“Growing peppers for Small Axe is a great educational and income generation opportunity for our urban farm,” said Kathleen McTigue, New Roots Community Farm, International Rescue Committee. “We’re looking forward to trying all the new sauces and participating in this growing network.”
Small Axe Peppers will be exhibiting at booth 6120 of The Fancy Food Show this weekend. It is currently distributed by Rainforest Distribution.
