Three Little Peppers Sauce Co.

Three Little Peppers Sauce Co. At 3LP, we believe life’s too short for bland food. Born from a fiery passion for hot sauce, we craft all our sauces from our garden—no extracts, just peppers.

The fire started in the Pacific Northwest. https://form.jotform.com/253168665813061

We all wear many hats.Some of them fit naturally. Some of them get handed to us. Some days we're parents, business owner...
06/16/2026

We all wear many hats.

Some of them fit naturally. Some of them get handed to us. Some days we're parents, business owners, cooks, gardeners, volunteers, mentors, students, mechanics, counselors, and problem-solvers before lunch.

The truth is, not everyone sees all the hats you're wearing today. Most people only see the one that's in front of them.

And that's okay.

What isn't always okay is how rarely people hear that they're doing a good job.

So if you see someone out there trying their best, building something, learning something, helping someone, or simply showing up when life would have given them a good excuse not to... give them a compliment.

Even if the hat looks a little funny on them.

Especially then.

Because not everyone hears it. And sometimes a few kind words are exactly what keeps someone going.

🌱 Keep growing. 🎩 Keep wearing the hats. 🌶️ Keep showing up.

— Three Little Peppers Sauce Co.


06/14/2026

Somewhere out there is another dad standing over a grill in 95-degree weather because the AC gave up, the fridge is making sounds it has no business making, and the house feels one bad decision away from becoming a sauna.

I'm right there with you.

My daughter has been through 17 performances since yesterday evening. Seventeen. The kind of schedule that makes you tired just thinking about it. My wife has spent years getting her to this point, carrying costumes, managing schedules, supporting practices, and making sure she had every opportunity to grow into who she's becoming.

Tonight, one of them has to be hungry.

So the AC can complain. The fridge can threaten retirement. The temperature can do whatever it's doing. Dinner is still getting cooked.

That's one of the funny things about being a dad. Sometimes you're not cooking because it's convenient. You're cooking because the people you love have spent all day giving everything they've got, and this is one small way to give something back.

To all the dads out there grilling, smoking, frying, baking, or improvising dinner under less-than-ideal conditions tonight: I see you.

Did I mention it was 930??

Now if you'll excuse me, I've got dinner to make before this fridge decides it's a decorative piece. 🍔🔥😅

By the way, let's not pretend... this was my first time doing dishes in MONTHS! We know who does the real work around here...

Some things grow because we plant them.Some things grow because other people planted something in us first.As much as I'...
06/13/2026

Some things grow because we plant them.

Some things grow because other people planted something in us first.

As much as I'd love to take credit for this beautiful hollyhock, the truth is it didn't start with me.

The seeds came from the mother of a friend I've stayed connected with for more than 20 years. Through that friendship, she became one of those people who helped shape who I am. Especially my gardening.

The soil beneath it was shaped by farmers and gardeners who taught me that thriving isn't about having perfect conditions. It's about learning to work with what you have and improving it a little at a time.

The older I get, the more I realize people are a lot like soil amendments.

Some add nutrients.
Some improve structure.
Some help you hold water when life gets dry.
Some help you weather storms.

Every mentor, friend, neighbor, teacher, family member, and community builder I've met has added something to the ground I'm growing in.

And most of all, my immediate family.

The people who stand beside me through autoimmune flare-ups, PTSD battles tied to a complicated past, long workdays, big ideas, and occasional failures. The people who keep showing up and giving me room to keep growing.

This hollyhock may be seven feet tall.
But it took a whole lot of people to grow it.

🌺 The flower gets the attention. The roots tell the real story.

06/12/2026

Sometimes the things you plant become bigger than you.

A few seeds. A little water. A bit of patience.

Then one day you're standing next to something that towers over you, wondering how it got there so fast.

Funny thing is, that doesn't just apply to hollyhocks.

Gardens. Businesses. Families. Communities.

Most worthwhile things start small and grow quietly while nobody is paying attention.

These hollyhocks are pushing 7 feet tall now, and they're a good reminder that growth often happens long before anyone notices it.

What are you growing this year?




One of the biggest challenges in building a stronger local food system isn't growing food.It's getting food from the soi...
06/09/2026

One of the biggest challenges in building a stronger local food system isn't growing food.

It's getting food from the soil to your table before its quality starts to decline.

That's one reason I'm excited to see Rogue Produce expanding further into Josephine County. I know because I'm helping deliver it!

If you've ever wanted to buy more local food but don't always have the time to visit multiple farms, markets, or stores, this may be one of the best options available in Southern Oregon.

If you're a farmer or producer, consider another production pathway, and reach out to Adam!

They connect local farms and producers with local families and deliver fresh food directly to homes and pickup locations throughout the Rogue Valley. That means less time spent traveling and more dollars staying in our local economy.

Freshness matters.

Vitamin C begins declining after harvest, and many conventional vegetables spend weeks moving through warehouses, transportation networks, and distribution centers before reaching store shelves. In some cases, carrots can be two months old before they're purchased.

The shorter the distance between harvest and dinner, the better your chances of getting produce closer to its peak flavor and nutritional value.

The other benefit?

Every order helps support local farmers, local producers, local jobs, and a more resilient regional food system.

If you're looking to shorten the distance between the soil and your table, it's worth checking out.

🌱 Local food
🚜 Local farms
🏡 Home delivery and pickup options
🥕 Fresh produce, meats, eggs, breads, and more

Learn more here at their website!



People sometimes ask why I got so deep into peppers.The answer is simpler than most people think.I stumbled across an in...
06/07/2026

People sometimes ask why I got so deep into peppers.

The answer is simpler than most people think.

I stumbled across an interesting piece of research that suggested chili peppers may scratch the same itch that drives people toward all kinds of intense experiences. Humans are one of the few species that willingly seek out discomfort for enjoyment. Hot peppers, roller coasters, horror movies, ice baths, mountain climbing—we know they're uncomfortable, but we also know we're safe.

For me, peppers became something else.

They gave my brain somewhere healthy to go.

Instead of chasing the next distraction, bad habit, or self-destructive impulse, I started chasing knowledge. One pepper became ten. One plant became a garden. One question became a hundred more questions.

How do you grow them?
Why do they get hot?
Where did they come from?
How do you preserve them?
How do you make sauce?
How do you help other people grow them?

What started as curiosity became purpose.

The garden doesn't care about yesterday's problems. The peppers need watered. The seeds need planted. The plants need attention. The sauce needs made.

Somewhere along the way, I realized I wasn't just growing peppers. I was redirecting an addictive personality toward something that creates instead of destroys.

A small thread of curiosity turned into responsibility.

And honestly, that's probably why Three Little Peppers exists at all.

🌶️ Anyone else ever find a hobby that ended up fixing a piece of their life you didn't even realize was broken?

06/07/2026

Purple Shade Celosia might be one of the most underrated plants in the garden.

Beautiful? Absolutely.

But it also attracts pollinators, handles summer heat like a champ, makes excellent cut flowers, and is even edible.

Unfortunately, Pickles discovered that last fact.

After several enthusiastic quality-control inspections, we had to intervene and explain that celosia should be a treat, not the main course. Small amounts only, buddy.

For the record, Pickles believes this policy is both unfair and unenforceable.
🐰🌸

Anyone else have a garden helper who thinks every plant was grown specifically for them?



You ever leave the house thinking you're doing something unique, only to find out half your neighbors have been quietly ...
06/06/2026

You ever leave the house thinking you're doing something unique, only to find out half your neighbors have been quietly building something incredible the whole time?

That happened to me this week.

I stopped by the Farmers Market, spoke with Goodwin Creek Gardens and picked up a Honeydew Melon Sage plant. Naturally, I started asking questions. A few minutes later I learned that what I've been calling "pineapple sage" all this time is actually Scarlet Pineapple Sage.

Apparently there are multiple varieties, and once again I was reminded that there is always someone nearby who knows something you don't.

That's one of the reasons I keep writing about continuity.

Knowledge doesn't magically survive. It gets passed from one person to another. One conversation. One plant. One skill. One generation at a time.

And here's the funny part: sometimes we don't even know what's happening right down the road because we never leave the house.

I also met someone working to bring back custom bamboo fishing rods. That caught my attention because one of Grants Pass' earliest value-added products was bamboo fishing poles. Think about that. Long before websites, social media, and online stores, people here were already taking local resources and turning them into specialized products with added value.

The tools change. The principle doesn't.

Farmers, gardeners, builders, makers, welders, woodworkers, artists, mechanics, and entrepreneurs are still doing remarkable things all over Southern Oregon. Most of us just don't hear about it unless we go looking.

So here's your reminder:
The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago.
The second-best time is today.

The same thing applies to learning a skill, growing a plant, teaching an apprentice, starting a business, or sharing knowledge with someone who comes after you.

Get out of the house.

You might be surprised by what's already growing around you.

🌱 Goodwin Creek Gardens website and the Scarlet Pineapple Sage story in the comments.

🎣 And if you're a metal worker, machinist, or craftsperson who likes fishing, I know a bamboo rod builder you may want to meet.




🌱 We talk a lot about supporting local farms, but one of the best ways to do that is making sure the next generation get...
06/05/2026

🌱 We talk a lot about supporting local farms, but one of the best ways to do that is making sure the next generation gets excited about agriculture too.

That's why events like Turnip the Beet matter.

It's an evening of live music, local food, community, and fun, but it also helps support programs that connect kids with farms, gardens, and the people growing food right here in Southern Oregon.

As someone who spends way too much time growing peppers, making sauce, and talking with local growers, I can tell you these connections matter.

🎶 Live music
🌱 Local food and vendors
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family-friendly activities
🚜 Support local agriculture

If you're looking for a good excuse to get out, enjoy a summer evening, and support something positive in our community, this is a pretty good one.



Every pepper grower knows that seeds are only part of the equation.If nobody saves them, shares them, teaches others how...
06/05/2026

Every pepper grower knows that seeds are only part of the equation.

If nobody saves them, shares them, teaches others how to grow them, or passes down what they've learned, eventually the variety disappears no matter how productive it once was.

Communities work much the same way.

My newest article, Human Leakage and the Continuity Gap, looks at what happens when knowledge, experience, mentorship, and community connections leave faster than they're replaced. While the article focuses on Southern Oregon's food system, the concept applies to almost everything we care about. Farmers retire. Volunteers move on. Business owners close their doors. Community leaders step away. The question isn't whether change happens—it's whether what they've learned gets passed to the next person before they're gone.

The more I work with growers, small businesses, community organizations, and local leaders, the more convinced I become that many of our challenges aren't caused by a lack of talent or people willing to help. They're caused by gaps in continuity. We have the seeds. We have the soil. We have people who care. What we need is a better way to keep knowledge moving from one generation to the next.

For a pepper company built around preserving varieties, growing food, and helping connect Southern Oregon's agricultural community, that lesson feels especially important.

Link in the comments!




Address

Grants Pass, OR
97526

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Three Little Peppers Sauce Co. posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Three Little Peppers Sauce Co.:

Shortcuts

Share

Category