Jim Campbell’s Open Fields event was mentioned in Chilepepper Magazine…

“Love Fest”

Open Fields is an event any good chilehead should know about. For more than ten years, every fall Jim Campbell (the firefighter at Mild to Wild hot sauce) has been opening up his Indiana pepper fields, which feature 60 varieties of chiles, for heat-addicts to pick and enjoy. Jim doesn’t charge anything, he just wants folks to have a good time and enjoy themselves. Where in Indiana? Couldn’t tell ya. The joke goes that the festival is held “somewhere in Indiana.”

This year, Jim decided to amp up thie event, which is sometimes called “Woodstock for chileheads”, by adding a hot sauce contest to the festivities with professional, amateur and “Fresh from the Fields” divisions. “Fresh” competitors were allowed to create any sort of sauce they wanted - but it had to be made using only Jim’s peppers and had to be concocted on location.

Emerging victorious in the Fresh from the Fields division were David Schuler’s Salsa, followed by John T’s Tomatillo Turtle Bean Salsa in second, and Texas Beth’s Step Up For Charity Hot Sauce in third.

All the entry fees for the contest went to Step Up for Charity, which supports The Jim Cleek Scholarship Fund, The Jason Baker Scholarship and The Maude Foundation, smaller charities that struggle to receive funding and to whom a small donation means a great deal.

This festival is one of the best things happening right now in the industry. For more information on the 2008 Open Fields or the Step Up for Charity Foundation, contact Jim Campbell through http://stepupforcharity.org

YES!!!!! There will be another contest this year. Stay tuned and check back here for further details and updates as they become available.

This years event will be held Friday, September 26th through Sunday, September 27th… Somewhere in Indiana.

Contact Jim Campbell for an invite and check back here for rules and regulations.