It’s been a while since I had a fabulous news story about another Notable New Mexican.
From The Smoking Gun:
“The New Mexico man who earlier this year mistakenly defecated in a stranger’s car–believing it was his girlfriend’s vehicle–has cut a plea deal sparing him jail time.”
This after he threw a cinder block through the glass door where she works.
Yeah.
The article goes on to state that this charming gent has since enlisted in the Army.
Despite all appearances to the contrary, customer service has not died.
Nope, there is still a small patch of wonderful service to be found in Southern New Mexico.
You’ll recall a week ago, I wrote of my joy and my subsequent despair regarding buying actual New Mexico grown chiles here in Northern California.
In that blog post last week, I mentioned that I wrote a rather terse letter to the New Mexico Department of Agriculture, complete with photographs, about my sorrow.
In fact, I’ll let you in on the text of my actual letter, sent to Mr. David Lucero at the NMDA:
_____
Dear Mr. Lucero – I found your email address from the www.nmda.nmsu.edu
webpage, though I’m unsure if you are the right person to contact.
I am a native New Mexican now living in Northern California and while on
a Southwest Airlines flight, I was happy to see an ad in their inflight
magazine for Hatch Green Chile coming to a long list of supermarkets in
my area.
My husband and I plan to buy a lot as we enjoy our green chile
throughout the year by finding kind friends back home to bring us the
good stuff.
While at Whole Foods recently in (town name redacted), California, I saw a sign for “Hatch peppers” and I was very happy (Whole Foods was on the list of stores that would carry the product).
As I picked a few from the pile, I looked closer at the sign and I
noticed it said “grown in California.” (see photo attached)
Now, I’m confused. Is this the “real thing” as advertised by the NMDA
and just mislabeled? Or has someone appropriated the Hatch name for
not-Hatch peppers?
I chose not to buy any that day as I’m unsure.
Hence why I’m coming to you for advice and guidance.
Are Hatch chiles going to be available in the Northern California Bay
Area? Also, is someone perpetrating a terrible fraud by selling
California grown peppers under the branded Hatch name?
On behalf of my family, we thank you and appreciate any guidance you
would provide.
All my best,
Karen Fayeth
_____
Honestly…I expected no reply.
Imagine my surprise when not only did I receive a VERY nice email from Mr. Lucero thanking me for providing this information, he also told me that he’s taken up the issue with his national Whole Foods buyer (who was cc’d on the email) and also with his shipper, Seco Spice (also cc’d on the email).
Then, and here’s where my mind gets blown, Mr. Lucero indicated that a Mr. Ogaz from Seco Spice would be happy to send me along a box of roasted and peeled chile if I’d be willing to pay shipping.
Holy jumping jehoshaphat!
So I’m currently getting shipping costs from the very kind Mr. Ogaz.
That’s amazing.
I want to publicly thank both Mr. Lucero and Mr. Ogaz for helping a poor New Mexico expat find her way home via the ol’ dinner plate.
By the by, I checked with my friends down in the greater Las Cruces and Anthony metropolitan areas and they know the Ogaz family and Seco Spice and can vouch that they are top notch people and growers.
So here’s a HUGE public thank you and a plug for the good people over at Seco Spice and the NMDA.
: sniffle : It makes me very proud to be a New Mexican.
Can’t think of a better smell.
Oh…wow…speaking of Fall….great photo of the burning of Zozobra from the ABQJournal. (you are right, NewMexiKen, my gloom might have been in the Zozobra. I’m feeling better just looking at that photo.)
So there I am, sitting on a Southwest Airlines flight, headed for El Paso.
As we haven’t yet cleared 10,000 feet, I can’t use my Kindle, so I’m idly flipping through the pages of the Spirit in flight magazine.
And what to my wondering eyes should appear, but an ad for the beautimous Hatch green chile.
The copy claims that this precious commodity will be for sale in many grocery chains near me!
Look!
I unceremoniously tore the ad out of the mag. I had to clutch it to my heart!
I showed the ad to my friends there in the southern part of New Mexico, and they told me that due to NAFTA, the local farmers are getting beat out on selling their beautiful crops.
The New Mexico Department of Agriculture is putting on a marketing drive to try to stir up some sales.
The tagline? “Get Your Fix.”
Why yes, I think I will. Thankyouverymuch.
So I was in my local Whole Foods store, perusing the fresh produce, when my peripheral vision locked on the word, “Hatch.”
There, in my very store, shiny green peppers stacked high.
I RAN over to the display.
But my brain said, “hoooooold on a minute.”
I looked a little closer at the sign.
Can you read the sign in this image?
It says, “Hatch peppers” and just above that it says, “Grown in California.”
What the @#*$%@&*^%$!!!!
No.
Just no.
This is not right.
This is NOT correct.
This is definitely not ok.
So I laid the waxy green vegetable back on the pile and walked away.
This was not the treasure I sought.
Over this Labor Day weekend, I wrote a terse email to the NMDA asking them if the word “Hatch” can be applied to California grown chiles, or if this sign is in error.
I await their reply.
Yesterday, during my lunch hour, I ran to the Nob Hill Foods (also known as Raley’s) near where I work to pick up a couple things. I never shop at Nob Hill, but it was the closest grocer near work.
Once again, my “Hatch” radar picked up something at the periphery.
I fear I couldn’t get excited.
I slowly walked toward the word “Hatch” and sniffed the air near the display.
And I looked closely at the sign. They spelled “chile” wrong.
But still…could it be? Have I found the good stuff? Did I just accidentally stumble upon The Precious?
Yes. Yes I did.
I filled a produce bag to bursting and made them mine. Those beautiful chiles sat in the backseat of my car all afternoon, and they made the inside of my car smell heavenly.
This year, The Good Man finally gets to know what the smell of roasting green chile (and the smell of Autumn) is truly about, because it will permeate the corners our home.
Aw. Yeah.
….that’s a damn fine donation!
“ALBUQUERQUE – Albuquerque police briefly evacuated a Goodwill store after someone left a pistol, ammunition, a grenade and some marijuana in a collection box.
Police spokeswoman Nadine Hamby says the items turned up in the box Thursday.
She says the Albuquerque police bomb squad determined the grenade was a World War II-style inert – or inactive – grenade.
Hamby says the bomb squad took it away to be destroyed.
The police report did not list what type of guns were in the box or the quantity of marijuana.”
Source: Las Cruces Sun News