OUR STORY

The Farmers Bootleg Products origin story is one seasoned with love, crafted from the heart and led by our passionate owner and founder, Mike Westrum. Mike’s connection to the earth started on a farm just north of Boone, Iowa, where, from an early age, he cultivated a deep love for gardening, canning and cooking with fresh, whole foods.

As an adult, after spending a decade working all over the world in the tech industry, Mike was ready to return to Iowa and reconnect to his farm-raised roots. In 2011 Mike began gardening again with the intention of crafting the perfect salsa from his backyard harvest. He dedicated himself to the art of salsa-making, experimenting with an array of spices, fresh ingredients, and hot pepper varieties, intent on finding the perfect balance of ingredients.

Initially, Mike’s home-crafted creations were shared exclusively among family and friends, igniting a fervor for his salsa that quickly spread. Each year, his garden expanded, as did his salsa’s fan base! Mike “bootlegged” his salsa for 4 years, and with the encouragement of his inner circle inspiring him to take his kitchen experiments to the next level, he took the leap, and in 2016 Farmers Bootleg Products was born.

Since then, Mike has proudly produced and distributed his small-batch salsas to his local, Iowabased community, and has expanded his product line to include sauces, chili, and seasoning blends, as well as provided distribution support in partnership with other local small-business owners. Farmers Bootleg Products are currently available in 350 stores across Iowa, Minneapolis and Omaha, and are now proudly available nationwide through our online store!

Quality and integrity have always been, and will always be, the cornerstones of Bootleg Products, and Mike is committed to never sacrificing quality over profit. Each recipe has been thoughtfully crafted to adhere to Bootleg’s authentic roots, reflecting our unwavering commitment to small-batch excellence, utmost freshness, and the enduring values of an American-made, family-owned, small business.