Heinrich Celebrates 65th Anniversary Of Bueno Foods, Commends Business's Effort To Protect Authentic New Mexico-Grown Chile

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) submitted a statement for the record to the United States Senate to celebrate the 65th anniversary of Bueno Foods, a New Mexico family-owned business. Bueno Foods was started in 1951 in Albuquerque and has since become well known for their wide array of New Mexico products. Bueno Foods and New Mexico chile farmers have been working together to protect authentic New Mexico-grown chile.

"Mr. President, today I wish to recognize the 65th anniversary of Bueno Foods, a New Mexico family-owned business and one of the Southwest's premier producers of New Mexican foods, including our state's iconic chile from Hatch, New Mexico, and the surrounding Rio Grande valley," said Sen. Heinrich in his statement. "New Mexico is a leading producer of American-grown chile peppers and I'm pleased that our state's chile farmers and Bueno Foods have come together to protect authentic New Mexico-grown chile. I congratulate Bueno Foods on 65 years of success as they work to keep our state's chile industry strong and produce the quality foods that can only be from New Mexico."

Bueno Foods currently employs more than 250 employees in New Mexico and has its headquarters in Albuquerque.

Below is Senator Heinrich's statement for the record:

Mr. President, today I wish to recognize the 65th anniversary of Bueno Foods, a New Mexico family-owned business and one of the Southwest's premier producers of New Mexican foods, including our state's iconic chile from Hatch, New Mexico, and the surrounding Rio Grande valley.

In 1946, when several brothers from the Baca family returned home from serving in World War II, they scraped together enough money to start a small grocery business. Although the business started off successfully, the Bacas soon learned how difficult it was for a small community market to compete with larger grocery store chains. So they decided to specialize, manufacturing corn and flour tortillas and traditional holiday favorites like tamales and posole. The Baca brothers also noticed that more households owned freezers, and they asked themselves around the family dinner table, why don't we take our heritage and preserve it?

With this idea, Bueno Foods was born in 1951. Today, Bueno Foods manufactures a full line of more than 150 authentic New Mexican and Mexican food products and currently employs more than 250 employees.

I commend Buenos Foods for taking an active role in the community and contributing to organizations that serve some of our most vulnerable New Mexicans, including impoverished children, the homeless, and the hungry.

Bueno Foods is a strong partner with New Mexico's renowned chile pepper farmers. The chile industry in New Mexico, including both growers and processors, is an integral part of our agricultural and cultural heritage and New Mexico-grown chile peppers remain the most sought after. New Mexico is a leading producer of American-grown chile peppers and I'm pleased that our state's chile farmers and Bueno Foods have come together to protect authentic New Mexico-grown chile.

I congratulate Bueno Foods on 65 years of success as they work to keep our state's chile industry strong and produce the quality foods that can only be from New Mexico.