Urban hot pepper farmers use love for spice to give back
A pair of hot pepper enthusiasts are using their passion for heat to try to warm hearts.
When Terry Demczuk got involved in the hot pepper community, he didn’t realize where it would take him.
“Well I got involved by mistake basically. I started growing peppers on a balcony.”
Demczuk started Magma Pepper Seeds several years ago. He would grow the peppers and sell the seeds to fellow hot pepper enthusiasts, which is how he met Kevin Howe.
“And he said, 'I’m in for more than the sales, I’m in it to try and grow the pepper community, and bring people closer together,'” says Howe, an enthusiast himself, which led to an idea to share his love of spicy things.
“I started with a single (Carolina) Reaper plant, had all sorts of pods, didn’t know what to do with them, so I produced a bunch of sauces, and gave them out to my family and friends.”
Then the pandemic hit, and the newly created Blazing Donkey Pepper Company wanted to do something to help the community.
“We thought, could we do something more here?” says Howe. “Is there something we could do to make ourselves feel good keep us occupied and give back to our community.”
In 2020 Blazing Donkey sold 220 bottles of hot sauce with all the profits going to charities that don’t receive large government grants and struggled during the pandemic.
This year they are looking to make 1,000 bottles and to grow the contributions
“This year we’re toying with the idea of creating a self-sustaining bursary, for either a Western student or a Fanshawe student in the name of PTSD and suicide awareness.”
Howe’s efforts have had an effect on Demczuk, who is also helping on the project.
“The reason of the company was to help people during the pandemic. We started last year in 2020, there was a lot of people struggling, and I see that helping people, it helped me,” Demczuk says.
There are plans to expand the number of plants that are grown in the future, as others have come forward to offer space for the surrogate plants to grow.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Ex-tabloid publisher testifies he scooped up possibly damaging tales to shield his old friend Trump
As Donald Trump was running for president in 2016, his old friend at the National Enquirer was scooping up potentially damaging stories about the candidate and paying out tens of thousands of dollars to keep them from the public eye.
Here's why provinces aren't following Saskatchewan's lead on the carbon tax home heating fight
After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government would still send Canada Carbon Rebate cheques to Saskatchewan residents, despite Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe's decision to stop collecting the carbon tax on natural gas or home heating, questions were raised about whether other provinces would follow suit. CTV News reached out across the country and here's what we found out.
Montreal actress calls Weinstein ruling 'discouraging' but not surprising
A Montreal actress, who has previously detailed incidents she had with disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, says a New York Court of Appeals decision overturning his 2020 rape conviction is 'discouraging' but not surprising.
Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye make it four NFL drafts with quarterbacks going 1-3
Caleb Williams is heading to the Windy City, aiming to become the franchise quarterback Chicago has sought for decades.