From Hospital Room to Handmade Spread: The Peanut Butter Passion of Medders Family Farm

By Kelly Caldwell
Sponsored by Alabama Peanut Producers Association

When Ashley Medders’ daughter Ella was just 13 months old, a medical crisis changed the course of her family’s life — and planted the seeds for a small-batch peanut butter business now enjoyed across Alabama.

It Started With Ella

The Medders family story begins in a hospital room. Ella, their second youngest child, was diagnosed with celiac disease shortly after her first birthday — a discovery triggered by a single dinner roll.

“She had her first bite of gluten at 10 months — a roll at Texas Roadhouse — and was sick the next day,” Ashley said. “It didn’t stop. By 13 months old, she was down to 13 pounds and in the hospital with a feeding tube. It was terrifying.”

After three and a half weeks in the hospital, the family was discharged with a stack of dietary guides, including a recipe book featuring nut butters. Chris Medders — a full-time nurse at UAB — took a personal interest.

“He saw a recipe for peanut butter and said, ‘I want to try that.’ His first attempts were terrible, but he just kept tweaking it,” Ashley said.

A Rainy Farmers Market and a Spark

What started as a therapeutic experiment in the kitchen soon became something more. For two years, Chris tinkered with his peanut butter recipe, using different equipment, testing ingredients, and refining the process. Friends began asking for batches — even bringing their own ingredients in trade.

It wasn’t until a rainy market day in Montevallo that the idea of going public took hold. Their friend Heather — dubbed their “hippie-dippy garden guru” — insisted they sell jars of peanut butter at a local market.

“She brought us 24 jars and said, ‘We’re selling peanut butter today,’” Ashley recalled. “We sold every jar. People were asking for business cards, wanting to know where to find us. It lit a fire.”

The Growth of Medders Family Farm

From that moment on, peanut butter began to take center stage. The Medders family slowly phased out their produce efforts and started receiving invitations to farmers markets, local food events, and craft shows across the state.

The product evolved too — from early batches to a now consistently creamy texture and growing lineup of flavors, including:

Peanut Butters:

• Unsweetened (Keto/diabetic-friendly)

• Double Honey

• Cinnamon

• Salted Caramel

• Chocolate

• S’mores

Most flavors are available smooth or crunchy, with the exception of s’mores, which is already rich with add-ins.

Almond Butters:

• Unsweetened

• Honey

• Cinnamon

• Chocolate

The Medders family also offer large-format jars (up to 32 oz), a refill discount for returned jars, and seasonal pies and treats — even contributing peanut butter to craft beers at a Helena brewery.

Built by Community, Grounded in Family

As the demand for peanut butter surged, the Medders family faced a difficult choice: continue renting kitchen space off-site or build something of their own. With the help of family and friends — and an incredible stroke of luck — they acquired and retrofitted a former mobile classroom into a fully certified commercial kitchen on their Montevallo farm.

“Our health inspector actually helped us find a facility. When our son got sick on the floor of a rented kitchen one day, we knew we had to make a change,” Ashley said. “Friends donated sinks, plumbing work, vanities, even the three-compartment sink. We paid it off in under 10 months.”

The building now serves as their production HQ, where the couple produces tens of thousands of jars annually.

Available Across Alabama — and Growing

Medders Family Farm peanut butter is now available at dozens of locations across Alabama, including Peach Park in Clanton, SweetCreek Farm Market in Pike Road, and several Piggly Wiggly locations. It’s also featured in smoothie bowls, bakery recipes, and even school fundraising programs.

Ashley is especially passionate about their fundraising partnerships with schools, sports teams, and community groups. Fundraisers can sell jars without up-front investment — keeping a portion of the proceeds and sharing the story behind every spoonful.

“Last January, Northport Elementary raised nearly $11,000,” Ashley said. “That fundraiser alone introduced our peanut butter to an entirely new customer base in west Alabama.”

The product is also a popular gift item at large craft fairs like Christmas Village in Birmingham and events in Nashville and soon, Jackson, Mississippi.

A Taste of Purpose

What began as a side project during a health crisis has grown into a full-fledged family business — one that never lost sight of its roots.

“This was never supposed to be a business,” Ashley said. “But what started as a recipe from a hospital packet became something that brings joy and flavor to people across the state. That’s pretty incredible.”

To learn more or find Medders Family Farm peanut butter near you, follow them on social media or look for their products in specialty shops and farm markets statewide.