Chiles Under Fire

New Mexico is famed and known for its' chiles. They define the state, and provide it with most of its' income. Unfortunately the crop is now under pressure thanks to climate change. Like so many other crops , it's under the threat of climate change.

Amelia Nierenberg, a regular contributor to The New York Times  Food section wrote about this dilemma in yesterday's Food issue. Chile peppers have long been a New Mexican product, like what blueberries are to Maine and peaches to Georgia. Now climate change is threatening the crops grown in the Hatch Valley area. Excessive heat , a symptom of it, can blister the fruits' delicate skin and interrupt the growth cycle.  The temps have gone from 95 to 100  - too scorching for the plants. They must have hot - but not excessively hot  - day and cool nights, usually 55. Other crops have moved to cooler climates but trying to transplant the chiles will prove hard. The only terrain that can give them a dichotomy of temperatures is a mountainous one which is what the state is. The only other state that comes close is Colorado , which  is directly north and has the highest mean elevation of all the states. Many chili farms have moved there already. However there are problems. Colorado's water and soil are different than New Mexico's. Purists can taste the difference in flavor and texture.  The Hatch Valley grown ones are crisper and more balanced in taste.


The chilis aren't the only peppers in trouble in the state where there are 150 other varieties grown. There have been problems for the Pueblos and Rio Grandes kinds to name a few. There have been droughts. In 2018 the Elephant Butte reservoir  was only at three per cent capacity. Even the Rio Grande which divides the state in two, had its' riverbed cracked in some places. The lack of water has caused crops to wither. Luckily there was a snowy winter and a cooler spring which led to the reservoir to have a twenty-five per cent capacity. It is, however , just a band aid, New Mexico is at the top of what's known as water insecure states.There will be a time when water won't be accessible to the state's population, whether for residential or commercial use. Already eighty to one hundred per cent of the state's water supply is used. Some farms have switched to pumping water from underneath, relying on aquifers. Yet that's too expensive and too salty which could ruin the peppers taste. What will the future hold? Ninety-five year old June Rutherford, doyenne of Franzoy Farms and recently crowned queen of The Great New Mexico Chile Taste Off feels the era of New Mexico chiles is over with. The crops are not as flourishing as they were in her father's time.

Could a crop gain endangered status? That may help the New Mexico chiles. If not they will be  rare   - and expensive - and will chili lovers be able to afford them?