CENTRAL Victorian farmers have reaped success as they try new products.
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Fernihurst producers Jude Hannah and Neville Tonkin's chilli business boom since they first planted four years ago.
They are among few producers in Victoria to grow the crop.
Brand Red Dog Chillies began about four years ago, when the pair put a few jalapenos in their veggie garden.
"They just would not die," Ms Hannah said.
As soon as they picked them, the chilis would grow back again.
Ms Hannah suggested to Mr Tonkin they look at chillies as an alternative crop, because most farmers in the area were still in sheep or cereal.
They put in 2000 plants the next year.
"We had no idea what we were doing... we produced that much chilli product that we couldn't keep up. We were just inundated," Ms Hannah said.
Originally they planned to sell fresh chillies. But they realised market gardening was hard. So they diversified into chilli condiments.
It's now the pair's third year in business. They've reduced the number of plants, to focus on picking and processing chillies.
Ms Hannah's eventual vision is to have a taqueria in their old dairy, which people can visit.
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