Two Ravens Farm cultivates rare heirloom capsicums in Fallon.
As I approach the gate of Two Ravens Farm in Fallon, a trio of white-feathered, blue-eyed geese waddle past, followed by a strutting bantam rooster and several scurrying hens. On the homestead of Jaime and Kevin Sammons, native pollinators mingle near trees of mulberry and quince (the latter, a knobby, pear-like fruit best enjoyed when allowed to age after being picked).
Horses hang their heads over the fence in hopes of a snack while a pack of dogs seeks out a cool spot by the fountain in the shade of a pergola, which is laden with climbing vines. In the field, 50 varieties of peppers bake in 90-degree heat, along with garlic, basil, tomatoes, cucumbers, sunchokes, and more. A hive of bees buzzes nearby.
I’m greeted with a bag of purple-striped garlic, assorted dried pepper seeds, and a glass of water containing mint-and-flower-petal-filled ice cubes — just one example of the thoughtfulness and creativity the Sammons put into their unique farm.
Jaime and Kevin Sammons on their farm
Spice of Life
Since 2004, the Sammonses have been building out their property — a thriving food forest and farm — in The Oasis of Nevada. The couple met at the Naval Air Station in Fallon, where Jaime was a rescue swimmer and Kevin a Navy SEAL. After years of being stationed in Pacific Rim locales, including Thailand, Japan, and the Philippines, Kevin developed a love for spicy food, so the two began experimenting with growing peppers at their high desert home.
“Eating on the ship, you learn to love everything that hides the taste of what you’re eating, like Tabasco,” Kevin jokes.
They started with more well-known peppers such as jalapeños and serranos, but after Jaime flipped through a Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds catalogue, they began to expand into unusual heirloom varieties they’d discovered.
In 2016, after retiring from the Navy, the Sammonses decided to turn their passion into a business. Inspired by the pair of ravens in Norse mythology that flew around the world bringing information to the god Odin, as well as the two birds living right on their property, they christened their property Two Ravens Farm.
The Pepper Population
“We try to only grow heirloom peppers,” Jaime says. “The flavor profiles are so different. I think that’s what got us hooked. When you think of hot, you think of a habanero, but there also are peppers that taste smoky and fruity, and where the heat hits your mouth always is different.
“So many different cultures have their own heat,” she adds. “There’s South American and Peruvian and Bolivian and Mexican and Indian — there are all these peppers we’ve never seen, in odd shapes and colors, with beautiful flavors.”
Two Ravens Farm is like a living museum of peppers. There’s the green-to-red Macedonian pepper covered in intricate horizontal scars that resemble embroidery. With a small round body ending in a tapered point, the yellow-to-red Brazilian pimenta biquinho (little beak pepper), one of Jaime’s favorites, is beloved for its sweet and spicy flavor. The fiery buena mulata cayenne pepper turns from a striking purple to salmon, orange, and finally red when ripe (it’s also one of many heirloom seeds discovered in the freezer of famed African American artist Horace Pippin). This year, the Sammonses planted chilaca, a long, wrinkled, dark-green-to-brown Mexican pepper, which, once it’s smoked and dried, is used in mole sauce.
Whenever Jaime and Kevin harvest a new pepper variety, they endure their own “pepper challenge,” which can lead to a mad dash from the field to grab a soothing glass of milk — or, better yet, a cold beer.
Two Ravens Farm sells its peppers at farmers’ markets, through the Fallon Food Hub, and directly to restaurants such as Thali, a vegetarian Indian restaurant in Reno whose proprietors are more than happy to buy whatever peppers the Sammonses bring their way (and wave away any words of warning on spiciness with veteran hands).
Though Nevada’s unpredictable spring storms and sweltering summer heat make growing peppers in the high desert difficult, it’s an endeavor that both Jaime and Kevin wholeheartedly enjoy.
“The challenge is another reason we love doing this,” Jaime says. “The genus capsicum is so huge, and it’s really fun to constantly find new varieties and see what will grow.”
Claire McArthur loves visiting Northern Nevada’s small farms to see firsthand the hard work and passion that go into growing food. (But really it’s all about the cute farm animals.) You can reach her at Clairecudahy@gmail.com.
Two Ravens Farm
3480 Schurz Hwy., Fallon
775-342-9463 • Find Two Ravens Farm on Facebook
