About Us

Bailey Farms, Inc. is a family-run business that had very humble beginnings. My father had a passion for farming and my siblings and I grew up working on the farm in one way or another. It all started after Dad had to sell off everything in fall of 1989 as part of a bankruptcy and had me buy back the bare minimum to be able to farm in some capacity afterwards. This started the partnership between my father and I on a new venture.

The next year at age 21 I had to decide what I wanted to grow in the new venture.  I fell in love with spicy Mexican food after being exposed to by friends of ours,  so I decided that is what I wanted to grow. Dad and I grew only a few acres that first year and our production was limited to only the summertime. Over the next several years we grew slowly with a local retail chain (Food Lion) and in 1998 we began seeking other growers to help us supply peppers year-round. This is when business really began to grow and by 2002 we had increased sales six times what they were in 1998.  However,  on April 23, 2002 my father was killed in a terrible explosion on the farm.

Today we grow many times more than we did in 2002 and now we have growing operations in Florida and North Carolina. We have also branched out to grow not only chile peppers but also Bellafina and mini-sweet peppers. Throughout our operations the ‘Passion for Peppers’ resonates from the farm to the trucks we deliver them in and we hope you enjoy our products as much as we enjoy bringing them to you.

2002

My father Thomas L Bailey III was killed in a terrible farm accident on April 23, 2002 at the age of 66. He accomplished much during his life and was the hardest working person that I have ever met. He was passionate about farming and taught all four of his kids what it means to work hard and earn a living. I loved my father and eternally grateful for the support and values that he gave to me and this business.