It is the heart of chile season here in the Mesilla Valley, and until this year I don't think I realized how serious people around here take it. People plan their lives around the chile. It is water cooler talk throughout the city as people discuss when they are going to get it and from who. There may not be another place in the country where an entire community is consumed with a desire for a seasonal produce item. Ninety percent of the people in this valley will have a bag of chile in their freezer come October. Think about the harvests in your area and ask yourself if such a high percentage of locals buy the item being harvested. A lot of people turn the chile harvest into a party every year, inviting a bunch of friends over to have a roasting party where they drink beer, roast chile, and eat it straight off of the grill. Of course, inviting everyone over for drinks is a good way to get free labor to help with the peeling and bagging that has to be done. It is a labor intensive process that can take about five hours per 30 pounds of chile. Luckily, none of you have to worry about that.
Justin Hawman
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