Public Service Post...Fresh Produce Vendors

how long you had that stamp Baker?
Ever see somebody post something, thinking it was going to go their way, and then it doesn't?


mark this thread as a perfect example...............thanks again for the superb pods Judy, never missed the stamp, just quality, no BS.
 
armac said:
how long you had that stamp Baker?
Ever see somebody post something, thinking it was going to go their way, and then it doesn't?


mark this thread as a perfect example...............thanks again for the superb pods Judy, never missed the stamp, just quality, no BS.
Click to expand...
 
Ok...
 
I had to guess my good friend Armac would pull me back for one last post...You see Armac rarely makes an invalid statement, and the one above certainly is. Let me explain....
 
You see, contrary to popular belief, I originally posted this thread to try to help the people out there buying fresh produce online...period...no more no less (Which BTW mods... I feel I posted this in the wrong place, as it was NEVER intended to "Promote" anything other than AWARENESS, so please move it where it belongs if need be) I tend to post things in the "Promotion" section as its where most of my post end up due to being moved by a mod...so its like second nature to post it there now for me...Which brings me back to why Armac's statement above (like many in this thread) is invalid. It went EXACTLY how I hoped! It in deed HAS brought awareness to this topic, which was the goal of my post! :)
 
Further I would like to correct a few things while I'm making this my LAST & FINAL post here on this topic. Email me if you want to ask me anything about it I will NOT comment here again!
 
I invite EVERYONE to go back to my original post here...read it carefully...AS IT READS...not as you may want it to sound :)
 
You see....I raised awareness on WHERE/WHO/HOW these peppers were coming available "For Sale"...not THE PEPPERS THEMSELVES! Its the grower/facilities and I quote my ORIGINAL post here "take a look at where it comes from, how its grown, and ARE THEY INSPECTED/CERTIFIED??" No where did I say "check every pepper that comes off a plant and inspect/certify it!" Im talking about the other VENDORS/"BIG" Growers (You know... Judy at PepperLover.com & As it seems now and STILL dont know why he came in at me on this, but am left to assume he falls into this same category Mike at OldBarnNursery). Are they themselves Registered/Inspected/Certified growers in their respective states?? I assumed they both were! But I seriously doubt it as NEITHER of them have simply said "Yes Dale actually I am a Registered/Inspected/Certified grower on a State/Fed level and HERE is my info....." Again, this would be PUBLIC info attainable by anyone if so. I mean, isnt that like the BARE minimum requirement you would think? Move ALL the peppers in the Northern Hemisphere and not even be a registered/inspected grower?? When I say "Registered/Inspected".. It means like it reads...Does some guy on a Local/Fed level come by WHERE you grow (whatever you happen to be growing), pop in, ask questions, take soil/plant samples and send off to be tested, check for pests, the list goes on and on...all totally at RANDOM? No phone call heads up, no pre set meeting...just "here I am" he/she says, and then says to you "Im just gonna walk around and have a look..........!" I understand guidelines will differ from State to State, but SOME sort of "Registration/Inspection" process MUST happen to people/businesses who do it LEGIT, am i right?!? I would think so.... I see PepperLover following, reading, and liking posts against me in this topic, which is why im asking her as well. Feel free guys...I'll wait.......
 
 
 
Judy has had a thing against me for quite some time, dating back a couple years, but Mike at OBN and I have always been at least friendly in passing (which is why im STILL confused on why u came at me man...really im stumped...tried to get at you privately with no luck again...no worries I dont have any problems with you...again, never have man....) But Judy, well Judy has been on the OFFENSIVE all season long. Coming right at me in most ALL of her Ads in the marketplace, borderline SLANDER against me and my business, while I have tried to take the high road and not comment. Then my business became "Fresh From Florida" certified which was BIG for me. I began posting so in my Ads here on THP.com, letting folks know they could get the hottest peppers on the planet from a "Fresh From Florida" grower. Then also posting my nursery registration info as well, NEVER one jab at ANYONE. Not Judy or Mike or ANYONE! Then it all got worse......Now all i see in PepperLover posts is "Dont get from nasty everglades florida" or heck just check out this recent Ad from PepperLover..
 
http://thehotpepper.com/classifieds/item/340-free-brown-moruga-powders/
 
or this one too...
 
http://thehotpepper.com/classifieds/item/339-no-monthly-fees-required/
 
I wonder who shes possibly talking about??.....and there more that the sale has ended that have vanished... All while I have not posted ONE single post with ANY negative reference to PepperLover directly like she has done so of me.... And the CONSTANT everytime I post an Ad in the Marketplace here comes PepperLover with 3 or 4 more right on top of me, Slander included! Me?? Still on the high road......or trying to be, which you members that know me know, I used to be Johnny BlowUp everytime someone came at me online. Those days are gone as you can see (This would have been WAY uglier if the old Dale was typing this today, yall know this!) I really wonder sometimes WHO is threatened by WHO here?? People can read whats right in fron of them, they know 2+2=4! I challenge someone to show me where I make negative reference to PepperLover publicly like she CONSTANTLY does to me... (That is not a blatant lie ive corrected of hers). Winner gets a FREE box of Peppers on ME!
 
Which brings me back to this thread....."Public Service Post"
 
I just want to ask ANY "Fly on the wall" looking in on this whole situation one question and then im Officially DONE here....too much stress...
 
If i were to say to you this statement..."Please be aware of who/where/how the produce you put into YOUR body comes to be available to be purchased and consumed...And ask the tough questions of YOUR supplier/grower/vendor you buy from"...
 
My question to the readers here is this.....
 
"Who do you think is going to be the FIRST people to jump up and try to discredit EVERYTHING me and my business stands for when their customers start asking them these questions???...
 
...Especially when Judy at PepperLover has come right out MANY times, since me posting this thread originally, and said she is not at ALL in any way shape or form"Registered/Inspected/Certified"....This sentence is for the reader who doesnt know this fact but this websites member base is HEAVILY favored towards PepperLover, hence the posts from some of her loyals in this thread too, trying to poke holes in every word I post online. Rightfully so, she should have a huge following of fans on here...shes been here a lot longer than me, and providing good seeds to good people. I would expect my fan base to do the same if I had been here longer! :) Im pretty sure any new business who comes along she would try to beat them down too. If she tells you "Its all about the LOVE of peppers" and you buy that you dont know the value of a dollar in todays world! She does "SELL" stuff ya know... Ebay store of almost 250 listings of seeds, her own website, selling here...For a person who is NOT in it for the $$, she sure has her hands in a bunch of places getting $$......... it IS a business folks...what business owner wouldnt try to take out another business who seriously threatened you & YOURS?? From where im sitting, based on what I know and what I have read in the last few months on here....SOMEONE feels "threatened" here, I challenge you to do a little research if its not all removed from here first....Is it the business whos been around here a while, or is it the new guy on the scene whos making a name for his brand in the pepper world?? I can assure you its NOT the latter! WE will be here on THP.com selling fresh peppers, seeds, dried peppers, & plants to the good folks here for MANY years to come. As long as the Bossman allows me to keep paying my annual  BIZ membership of course! :) Great site THP!
 
In closing, Im done posting threads on this site for a while...taking a break....I will finish my October Contest thread and declare a winner in that, but thats all. Still post my weekly Ads in the marketplace when my inventory updates (Done weekly on my website, thats why I update my ads weekly here), but thats it folks.....I have learned my lessons on trying to be helpful to the community as a business. There WILL be posts in this thread after this one by members here dumping fuel on the fire trying to get me to come back again and again and get all worked up... NOT GONNA HAPPEN! Some members here stress me out and I just dont have the time and energy after working 15 hrs a day every day to let stuff like THIS burn me up inside......
 
ALL of my info is posted PUBLICLY and ANYONE is welcome to come to my operation for a tour, see what WE are all about! No lies, No deception HERE!! Just let me know!!
 
 
Sizzlin' Salutations!,
Dale E. Baker Jr, CEO
Baker's Peppers LLC
www.BakersPeppers.com
@BakersPeppers On Twitter
www.Facebook.com/BakersPeppers
 
Dale, your original post, the PSA as you call it, was informing members that they need to ask certain things to vendors. These questions have to do with the quality of peppers. All the things you said to look for are things YOU participate in, so it was easy for you to tell people to ask.
 
If I sell in NY, and I don't have a NY Fresh seal... oops, I guess they are not quality.
 
When I look for the best meat for a good steak, do you think I look for the USDA seal? Or do I go to the butcher on the corner, with the good reviews, and the dry aged ribeye. Nah, Wal Mart must be the same, I saw the seals.
 
So your PSA is self-serving. And it takes down competitors since members now think they have to ask for seals and participation programs.
 
If people care about pesticides, yes, they should ask. If people care about organic, yes they should ask. You know even someone with an organic SEAL can use pesticides, illegally. See all those lawsuits out there for big companies doing such things?
 
I trust a vendor with a quality rep, and feedback, and answers I get directly from that vendor more than any seal. "Yeah we grow organically we're just not certified yet." Cool! I would believe that from a trusted vendor with good rep. Though certified organic would be the only seal I would care about. And you don't tout that, you don't have it.
 
TRUST is a HUGE factor. Not paper. Not seals.
 
Yes, PepperLover made fun of the seals in her ads. She didn't name you. She just mocked them. It's business. Coke vs. Pepsi, Flame-broiled vs. fried patties, businesses do it.
 
True, I would like to see the jabs stop, and let everyone deal with who they want to deal with. Dirty politics can turn many people away. So this is to both of you, concentrate on your own business, and you will prosper. This is a community where we like to see vendors get along, and actually recommend other vendors when they may not have something. That's what is great about a community. It's not cutthroat.
 
Thanks
 
No one ever claimed Judy is NOT in it for $$$. And she DOES NOT sell on ebay.

Buying un-inspected pods/vegetables is one thing, but that jerky you have going around... is that kitchen inspected?
Processed meat is a whole other ball game when it comes to "public safety concerns".

just sayin~
 
Added:
 
As some others have stated here, the states they are in do not require a lot of what you posted to look for. If they DID require it, then I would say, yes Dale, you have a point. This farm is in violation, etc.
 
THAT'S why your PSA is self-serving. You mention optional programs you participate in, and are telling people this is how to look for quality peppers.
 
Dale,
 
I am not trying to "dump fuel on the fire", just making an observation or two, from a customer stand point.
 
I watched both parties involved go back and forth in the classifieds and regardless of who or why, it is leaving a bad taste in many a members mouth.  Seriously it's like two kids on the playground going back and forth saying "yeah well my dad can beat up your dad".
 
As I mentioned in a previous post competition is good, but when it gets to nothing but mud-slinging that is where most people will draw the line.
 
I am not sure why anyone on here is 'threatened', we are supposed to be like minded chile pepper enthusiasts...maybe it's due to the tough economic times everyone is facing right now.  However I would notice an ad posted, then the other party would immediately counter with another ad, slightly escalated in its wording, then again from the other party and so on.
 
It has gotten to the point where it is getting mean and now feelings are hurt and relationships are going to suffer.  That as a whole is not good for the community .
 
 
 
The problem for me with "Better Business Bureau Accredited", "Fresh From Florida" or "Grown in Timbuktu" is they all require you to pay money and fill out some paperwork to be in their little club and then you get a fancy logo/stamp/sticker for your use. But what backing do they REALLY have?
 
Does that mean that Joe the Plumber who is not BBB accredited is not as good a plumber as Frank the Plumber?
 
What about vendors who sell at farmers markets?  I know for a fact 9 out of 10 of them have no "official" Inspection/certification of their produce.  They have a license to sell and that is it.  Does that stop me from buying it...absolutely not, if the quality is good.
 
The Hot Pepper said:
I trust a vendor with a quality rep, and feedback, and answers I get directly from that vendor more than any seal. "Yeah we grow organically we're just not certified yet." Cool! I would believe that from a trusted vendor with good rep.
Click to expand...
 
I think that anyone here would agree with what THP said...
 
The Hot Pepper said:
True, I would like to see the jabs stop, and let everyone deal with who they want to deal with. Dirty politics can turn many people away. So this is to both of you, concentrate on your own business, and you will prosper. This is a community where we like to see vendors get along, and actually recommend other vendors when they may not have something. That's what is great about a community. It's not cutthroat.
 
Click to expand...
 
I have gotten goods from both parties and never once had any complaints from either vendor, and would certainly recommend either vendor.
 
Jim
 
The Hot Pepper said:
Added:
 
As some others have stated here, the states they are in do not require a lot of what you posted to look for. If they DID require it, then I would say, yes Dale, you have a point. This farm is in violation, etc.
 
THAT'S why your PSA is self-serving. You mention optional programs you participate in, and are telling people this is how to look for quality peppers.
Click to expand...
 
Bossman.....check out my Stamps......They are BOTH Nursery inspection Stamps... Saying I conform to ALL my State mandated REQUIRED inspections of my PREMISES and i pass them. My inspector DEMANDS that every order that leaves my nursery MUST have these stamps on them....You need his contact info?? :) Id be glad to forward his contact info via PM..... Being a "Registered/Inspected" nursery is NOT "Optional" here in Florida.......ITS THE LAW! Never once about "The Peppers" themselves btw...never once said my peppers were inspected....
 
Hope to see some cleanup in the Ads section too THP (Warnings issued to PepperLover PUBLICLY in HER threads), or is this the standard now?? I can be creative with the slander too in my Ads...
 
Now this is my last post....when the owner of the website posts i must reply.....
 
As a fly on the wall I saw this as an ad and a tactic. Just being honest.

Had it not been, you would have put the decal on some small corner that is visible and unobtrusive at the same time. Subtlety goes a long way.

And I thought that when I read the post before anyone replied who may or may not have a biased opinion of you or your business, as well as being a newcomer to the hobby and board who has not followed the apparent history.

I normally don't post in this type of thread, but I figured my unbiased opinion to the question you posed may be of use to you when considering future posts.

Good Luck to you Sir.
 
All states are not the same and I have no knowledge in that Dale. But if I sell soap, and get the Good Housekeeping seal (who the hell knows how you get that)... it's cool and all for me to put that seal in my ads, great, but when I post a "PSA" for all members of a soap forum and tell them to ask the important questions of the soap vendor members, like do they carry the Good Housekeeping seal, that is how you find quality, that is self-serving, and not a PSA.
 
THAT is what people are objecting to here. Your "ad" because you meet all of your points mentioned. You should have just called it an ad and told us your programs and inspections. Not a PSA challenging others. There are things others have you don't. Not mentioned. PSA?
 
I wish the best for you and your business, and PepperLover, and the other vendors here too.
 
But Dale, when an organic vendor comes in here and posts a PSA asking members to question all the pepper growers here on their organic status, because that is how you judge pepper quality, don't complain. You see, fine to mention organic in an ad, but posting a PSA? Well that would piss you off wouldn't it? There you go.
 
Now I'm off to buy a Chevy because I read a PSA sponsored by GM that said look for the JD Power Award and the Made in Michigan seal.
 
i have a business number,a inspected nursery number and a fresh from florida number. those stamps are because of our fire ants and only have to be used for shipping live plants. they mean that the plants have been inspected. your inspector does not require that every package you ship has to have that stamp.only live plants. i wont let a lie ruin any of my business because someone gets pods without the stamp. 
 
sicman said:
i have a business number,a inspected nursery number and a fresh from florida number. those stamps are because of our fire ants and only have to be used for shipping live plants. they mean that the plants have been inspected. your inspector does not require that every package you ship has to have that stamp.only live plants. i wont let a lie ruin any of my business because someone gets pods without the stamp. 
Click to expand...

thanks for your honesty.....
 
sicman said:
i have a business number,a inspected nursery number and a fresh from florida number. those stamps are because of our fire ants and only have to be used for shipping live plants. they mean that the plants have been inspected. your inspector does not require that every package you ship has to have that stamp.only live plants. i wont let a lie ruin any of my business because someone gets pods without the stamp. 
Click to expand...
Jason....really man? You wanna get in here too? I knew for a FACT already you are "registered/inspected/certified" which is why i did not mention you in this. The reason i knew this is because MY inspector is the same exact one as YOURS! His name is Daniel Merced and he is based out of the Pasco County Office.
 
That inspector.....the SAME one who can FINE me ALL kinds of crazy fines and $$ told me VERBATIM.... "Every single box that leaves your nursery Dale, via SHIPPING,absolutely MUST have these stamps on it NO MATTER THE CONTENTS of the box"...Period...Jason (Sicman), i suggest you call him and double check if this also applies to you, as it may not as we do different volumes than each other, maybe its the volume aspect of it....im not sure...none the less i suggest you make sure...FINES are hefty!! Just a heads up my man...
 
Nusery Inspection/registration Certificates ....Stating my PREMISES is inspected and monitored BY THE STATE and that i meet alll requirements of the state...why is this so difficult to get through to u guys?? This has NOTHING to do with the FREAKING PEPPERS THEMSELVES!!! FOR THE LAST AND FINAL TIME.......im calling out the GROWERS/VENDORS of Hot Peppers, AND the PREMISES where they actually grow them!! PERIOD!
 
This is NOT directed at Jason (Sicman, or Lady Sic either), like i said you guys are 100% LEGIT and i already knew that :) Thats why there was no mention of you my man, no beef with you. Unlike most vendors/growers out there you HAVE taken the time to do things right, and for that I applaud you! To be quite honest, i previously put my word on it to keep your name out of my mouth if you kept it the same....remember? THATS why there was no mention of you in this before. Good, Bad, Or Anything!
 
 
Now please folks.....for the LAST time...THIS WAS NEVER about the PHYSICAL/ACTUAL peppers....it was the behind the scenes look into growers/vendors and do THEY take the time to make sure YOU the customer can rest assured EVERY letter of the LAW was followed in the GROWING PROCESS of their Products! I know i keep repeating that, but i keep getting SUCKED back in here to CORRECT this!!!! IT WAS NEVER ABOUT THE PEPPERS THEY SELL...............STRICTLY the business and the methods and levels of inspection THEY do or do NOT abide by. Hopefully I have CLEARED that part up!!
 
And yes Armac....Im DONE NOW..........HONESTLY! Pending more people refusing to "get" WHAT THE POST WAS ACTUALLY ABOUT TO BEGIN WITH!!!
 
 
Sizzlin' Salutations!,
Dale E. Baker Jr, CEO
Baker's Peppers LLC
www.BakersPeppers.com
@BakersPeppers On Twitter
www.Facebook.com/BakersPeppers
 
BakersPeppers said:
Jason....really man? You wanna get in here too? I knew for a FACT already you are "registered/inspected/certified" which is why i did not mention you in this. The reason i knew this is because MY inspector is the same exact one as YOURS! His name is Daniel Merced and he is based out of the Pasco County Office.
 
That inspector.....the SAME one who can FINE me ALL kinds of crazy fines and $$ told me VERBATIM.... "Every single box that leaves your nursery Dale, via SHIPPING,absolutely MUST have these stamps on it NO MATTER THE CONTENTS of the box"...Period...Jason (Sicman), i suggest you call him and double check if this also applies to you, as it may not as we do different volumes than each other, maybe its the volume aspect of it....im not sure...none the less i suggest you make sure...FINES are hefty!! Just a heads up my man...
 
Nusery Inspection/registration Certificates ....Stating my PREMISES is inspected and monitored BY THE STATE and that i meet alll requirements of the state...why is this so difficult to get through to u guys?? This has NOTHING to do with the FREAKING PEPPERS THEMSELVES!!! FOR THE LAST AND FINAL TIME.......im calling out the GROWERS/VENDORS of Hot Peppers, AND the PREMISES where they actually grow them!! PERIOD!
 
This is NOT directed at Jason (Sicman, or Lady Sic either), like i said you guys are 100% LEGIT and i already knew that :) Thats why there was no mention of you my man, no beef with you. Unlike most vendors/growers out there you HAVE taken the time to do things right, and for that I applaud you! To be quite honest, i previously put my word on it to keep your name out of my mouth if you kept it the same....remember? THATS why there was no mention of you in this before. Good, Bad, Or Anything!
 
 
Now please folks.....for the LAST time...THIS WAS NEVER about the PHYSICAL/ACTUAL peppers....it was the behind the scenes look into growers/vendors and do THEY take the time to make sure YOU the customer can rest assured EVERY letter of the LAW was followed in the GROWING PROCESS of their Products! I know i keep repeating that, but i keep getting SUCKED back in here to CORRECT this!!!! IT WAS NEVER ABOUT THE PEPPERS THEY SELL...............STRICTLY the business and the methods and levels of inspection THEY do or do NOT abide by. Hopefully I have CLEARED that part up!!
 
And yes Armac....Im DONE NOW..........HONESTLY! Pending more people refusing to "get" WHAT THE POST WAS ACTUALLY ABOUT TO BEGIN WITH!!!
 
 
Sizzlin' Salutations!,
Dale E. Baker Jr, CEO
Baker's Peppers LLC
www.BakersPeppers.com
@BakersPeppers On Twitter
www.Facebook.com/BakersPeppers
Click to expand...
Thanks for admitting this was not a PSA for members, and you were "calling out" your competitors. Honesty is key.
 
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