We grow our chili using strict organic growing methods. In 2010 we received our certification through the New Mexico Organic Commodity Commission. For over 20 years we have been growing green and red chili using organic growing practices, from seed to freezer on our small seven-acre farm at Armijo Farm located in Sabinal, New Mexico.

Farmer Bio

My name is Ken Amijo. I’m a third generation farmer in Sabinal, although one generation was skipped due to the call of duty of all young men by the US Department of Defense, which included my dad, Ben G. Armijo to fight in WW2. In 1981 I followed my dream and my dad’s dream to revive the Armijo homestead in Sabinal. I married Rosa Sanchez, settled in Sabinal, raised two beautiful children, built our solar adobe home from scratch and learned farming practices from experience, a lot of reading and some practices used by grandpa Clemente Armijo. I moved from Albuquerque and Rosa moved from Chicago; a very huge leap of faith since we were both college educated “city slickers” and wannabe farmers. How we met is a whole different story, but what’s important is we had faith and a little luck to grow some very delicious, organically grown chili. Over the years we’ve also grown Christmas trees, greenhouse transplants, statice flowers, tomatoes, melons, alfalfa and now organically grown green chili, raspberries and blackberries.

Green Chili Availability

Starting mid August until first freeze, usually mid October we will have green chili; roasted, peeled, diced, lightly salted and frozen for your “ready to eat” convenience. Our frozen chili product will be sold on a “first come first serve” basis at the Farmers Market in Socorro and select Farmers Markets in Albuquerque, from our freezer to yours. We will also have product available for sale through this website in limited supply.

Product Safety

Our entire product is prepared at the Socorro Community Kitchen in Socorro using HACCP guidelines for your protection and ease of use. The State of New Mexico Environmental Health Department certifies this facility to ensure healthy and non-hazardous “safe” food.

 

My Confession

I have a confession to make. I too am a “serious chili connoisseur”. I eat chili both green and red with almost every meal, all year long. Im hooked by a certain taste and pungency of chili. The one I can count on, to inhale that terrific green chili aroma, taste that mmmmmm semi sweet and salty one-of-a kind chili with a “kick” is the one I grow. Ok, now you know. I've been living in New Mexico all my life and I've tasted and eaten every single kind of chili there is, from Hatch to Espanola, and while traveling from San Francisco to San Antonio Texas. Some of them are pretty good but NOT AS GOOD AS THE CHILI I GROW.

 

So there you have it. You can buy some of the "run of the mill" green chili grown with chemical fertilizers and pesticides inside and out and when it's ready beat up in a rotary roaster and then dumped in a black garbage bag to "sweat". Yuck. Or you can treat yourself to some "kick ass" organic green chili carefully grown with "abono" also known as compost then prepared in a sanitary commercial kitchen.