Overland Park kicks out farmers market vendor over brazenly antisemitic posts
Overland Park has ejected a vendor from its farmers market because of the business owner’s series of brazenly antisemitic and threatening social media posts, including a discount offer to customers who use the code “GasThejews.”
The Olathe business PepperCave, started by owner Justin Bale last year, has been posting messages on social media denying the Holocaust, using slurs, calling out social media users for being Jewish and spreading dangerous messages.
When asked for comment on his removal from the farmers market, Bale told The Star in an email, “Read your bible. Christ is King!”
City spokeswoman Meg Ralph said in a statement: “The City of Overland Park and Overland Park Farmers’ Market staff are aware of anti-semitic social media posts allegedly connected to the business of a Farmers’ Market vendor, PepperCave. These posts do not reflect the City’s or the Overland Park Farmers’ Market’s values. In fact, this content directly contradicts our strategic goal of being a welcoming and inclusive community and organization.
“The City provided notice to the vendor this week that they are suspended indefinitely from the Farmers’ Market. We have reminded all market vendors that the Overland Park Farmers’ Market is an open-minded and inclusive community, and request vendors represent themselves in accordance with market values.”
In May, the farmers market posted about PepperCave being a new vendor, saying that Bale is a Shawnee Mission East graduate raised in Leawood. Bale calls it a “Christian family business” that produces hot sauces, rubs, seasonings and snacks.
PepperCave’s Facebook presence had been relatively quiet until recently, with the business mostly just promoting its products and its stall at the farmers market. But over the past 24 hours, the page has posted a string of antisemitic messages, including a photo of a candle with a “Giftgas” label, which is German for poisonous gas. The label also mentions Zyklon B, the gas Nazis used in concentration camps.
“Being a counter-semite is hard work,” one Facebook post read. “Luckily I can screenshot all of the kvetching and it turns into free advertising! Please leave your angry review, Sharon!”
The posts are more offensive on the business’s page on the alternative social media site Gab, which has been criticized for hosting racist and antisemitic content. Outrage rose after a gunman, Robert Bowers, opened fire on a Pittsburgh synagogue, killing 11 people, the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history. Beforehand, Bowers had posted on the site about his hatred of Jewish people.
Over several months, Bale has regularly reposted white supremacist and Nazi propaganda on the site.
“Your whole species will soon be exterminated worldwide,” one post reads.
Gavriela Geller, executive director of Overland Park’s Jewish Community Relations Bureau/American Jewish Committee, said in a statement to The Star that the posts “are some of the most despicable examples of antisemitic hate I’ve ever seen.
“Unfortunately, this is a reflection of the rise in antisemitism in America, including a rise in white nationalist and white supremacist ideologies. We can no longer be surprised that this hate is present in our region. These ideologies have been gaining traction for years, including in suburban areas.”
Jessica Rockhold, executive director of the Midwest Center for Holocaust Education, said that, “It can be tempting to see antisemitism as only coming from fringe elements or something happening somewhere else, but not in our own community.
“Every time antisemitic statements occur — especially online where they can be amplified by anonymous affirmation — it moves society closer to normalizing this hatred and making it an acceptable part of our social discourse, which it is not. This is not a distant phenomenon, but something we need to be vigilant about addressing in our own community.”
Backlash over the business’s posts is growing online, although the business owner hasn’t slowed down.
In one post, Bale wrote, “so some Sharon got butthurt over truth bombs and got me kicked out of our farmers’ market. This means much more time to dedicate to online sales and we can switch the chip recipe to lard! Remember to save 14.88% on all orders with code: GasThejews. My name is Justin Bale. I live in Olathe, KS. I fear no jew!”
“1488” is a code used by white supremacists and neo-Nazis.
His first post on Gab was in October, where Bale said he was banned from “the world’s biggest online hot pepper community” for making an offensive comment, adding, “so I’ve decided to post my grow-log on gab… complete with juvenile jokes and hurty words.”
One Facebook user left a review that said, “Antisemitism will not be tolerated in this community. Good luck selling online when everyone hears what a giant steaming pile of garbage you are.”
And many are calling on social media users to report the business and flag the threatening content.
The De Soto farm, Happy Valley Farm, also posted on Facebook on Thursday that it was removing all PepperCave products.
“We NEVER, EVER had any idea he had these feelings. I worked with him for two years about ten years ago, and NEVER had a single conversation with him that led me in any way to believe he harbored this hatred,” the post read. “Here at Happy Valley, we have ZERO tolerance for antisemitism, or racially divisive actions or comments. Again, sad that we had to post this, but I needed to make folks aware, and make it VERY clear that we no longer support Pepper Cave, and will not do business with anyone like that.”
The Jewish Community Relations Bureau/American Jewish Committee has reported rising antisemitism in the Kansas City region. Its survey last year showed that Jewish students are confronted by antisemitism on a shockingly regular basis. The survey showed 81% of students reported experiencing or witnessing at least one form of antisemitism at school.
Antisemitic incidents rose 36% in the U.S. last year, according to an audit by the Anti-Defamation League.
“These aren’t just statistics. They are a lived reality for American Jews today — 41% of whom say they feel less secure in this country than they did just one year ago,” Geller said.
On Martin King Luther Jr. Day, the Blue Valley High School football stadium and press box were defaced and damaged with racist, antisemitic and homophobic slurs, a swastika, the words “F--- Jews” and other offensive language.
Some said the incident brought back traumatic memories of 2014 shootings, when a man with a history of antisemitism opened fire and killed two people outside the Jewish Community Center and then a third person at a nearby Jewish assisted living facility. One of the victims was 14-year-old Reat Underwood, a Blue Valley High School student. It turned out that none of the victims was Jewish.
The “Jewish community relies on our partners in government and law enforcement to protect us to the extent that law allows,” Geller said. “But we also rely on our allies in civil society to ensure that extremists and those who advocate for hate and violence are pushed back to the fringes where they belong.
“Those who promote such hate must be told loudly and clearly by their neighbors, friends, family and civil society leaders: Your views are not welcome.”
This story was originally published August 24, 2023 at 12:23 PM.
