Article in Las Cruces Sun-News 9-5-09 by Gene Baca for the Sun-News

My father used to say he was "bred on red and weaned on green!" He meant chile, of course, and all of us who love our chile can identify with this cultural heritage whether we have been in New Mexico for four years, 400, or 4,000.

Sure, Idaho is known for its potatoes and Florida for its oranges. But in New Mexico, chile is our heart and soul, our cultural identity.

But did you know that even though this year's harvest is abundant, our state's signature crop is in peril? And without action, our official state question of "Red or Green?" may become "What country does your chile come from?"  While U.S. chile consumption is skyrocketing, New Mexico's production is in steep decline, down by two-thirds of what was grown in 1990, at its peak. Only 11,000 acres were grown during 2008 in our state, down from 35,000 acres harvested in 1992.

From 5,000 full-time jobs and 10,000 part-time jobs provided by family-owned farms and small businesses in 2005, employment numbers have dropped almost in half. New Mexico chile farmers and processors now face severe foreign competition.

Imported chile from China, India, Peru and Mexico now account for 82 percent of U.S. consumption. Foreign competitors sell red chile cheaper than it costs to grow here.  These numbers indicate New Mexico is losing its title as chile capital of the world. So how can we reverse this trend?

The state's chile industry, a consortium of the state's farmers and processors, has made strides by working with New Mexico State University to develop equipment for mechanical harvesting and de-stemming, to improve yields and disease resistance, to reduce water usage and other costs so that farmers can grow chile profitably without loss year after year. But that's just the beginning. We need your help to get back to where the chile industry was in New Mexico 15 years ago.

New Mexico-grown chile has so many advantages. With our state's climate, soil, and seed, our flavor is unsurpassed.

Our food safety is unparalleled. When 98 percent of consumers say that food safety is important to them and 92 percent say it is very important, foreign-grown chile is indeed a concern. And if you're concerned about your carbon footprint, what better way to conserve energy than to buy local?

Chile is a cultural icon and the one food that defines New Mexican cuisine.  What would our enchiladas, rellenos, tamales, stews and green chile cheeseburgers be without our New Mexico-grown chile?

This chile season -- which is all year long for New Mexicans -- buy local. Buy from farmers who grow it here. Support manufacturers who process New Mexico grown chile. Insist on New Mexico grown at your favorite restaurants and grocery stores. Support your local Red and Green. And keep our New Mexican cultural heritage alive.

Gene Baca is president of the nonprofit New Mexico Chile Association and senior vice president of Bueno Foods.