Pepper seedlings

I first tried Jimmy Nardello peppers 2-3 years ago courtesy of Mattawoman Creek Farms (an organic farm on Virginia's Eastern Shore). They are so sweet! This year I am trying to grow my own. They are definitely slower growing than my other pepper seedlings. I am hoping they do well when I put them into the garden in a couple weeks.

I love seeds with stories...

Jimmy was of the first Nardello generation born in America. The fourth of 11 kids, he was the only one to inherit his mother’s love of peppers. In Naugatuck, he built terraces like they did in the hillsides of Southern Italy. He nourished his peppers and dried them so they could be enjoyed in winter.

Before Jimmy died in 1983, he donated his pepper seeds to Seed Savers Exchange, where they’ve been stewards of the pepper for nearly thirty years. The Jimmy Nardello Sweet Italian Frying Pepper, now its official name, is listed in the US Ark of Taste at Slow Food, the vegetable version of the endangered species list.