New Mexico chile farmers expect big harvest season, ‘best’ in years
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – Call it Christmas in July. Red and green chile season is here and experts say it’s going to be the best harvest in years. “People have been calling, the phone’s been going off the wall every day, wanting chile,” said Jimmy Wagner, part-owner of Wanger Farm in Corrales.
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He said the first crop was so good that he got to pick the chile a couple of weeks early this year, as did other growers in the state. “We’ve had a lot of water and it’s been warm so the crop looks excellent so far,” he said.
“I’m looking at the best chile season that I’ve seen in the last three years,” said Ben Etcheverry, President of the New Mexico Chile Association. “The weather this spring was phenomenal by all accounts…has it been a little warmer? Teah, but this season’s temperatures were fairly mild and allowed us to get off the ground fairly easily and allowed us to get a good first crop.”
He said this year’s peppers have some weight on them and there are simply a lot of them. “This year, the temperatures have been really mild and it’s just been what the growers would call a chile year,” he said.
Etcheverry said after the pandemic and last year’s long stretch of triple-digit heat, this year is a breath of fresh air for growers. “It’s always exciting to have a chile year. When it’s good, it’s good. When you’ve got good chile in the ground, you’re not stressed, you’re not worried, you’re anxious, you’re able to focus on growing the best crop you can. it just feels good,” he said.
While he says the milder temperatures may impact the spiciness of the peppers, it will still pack the flavor New Mexico loves. “You can’t live without chile, it’s addicting,” said Wagner.
The New Mexico Chile Association is reminding people to make sure the chile they buy is New Mexico certified to help the industry and growers in the state.
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