History
The Franzoy family history in the Hatch valley dates back to the early 1920’s. Joseph Franzoy homesteaded in the area, clearing the land of brush and mesquite for farming. Our family still tells the story of how locals gave him his first taste of hot New Mexico chile. Being an Italian immigrant and unfamiliar with the flavor, Joseph feared he’d been poisoned!
Well, it didn’t take long before Joseph became hooked on the spicy, local cuisine. He began raising his own chile crops, peddling his produce to workers in the old mining town of Silver City and local markets.
The father and son team of Jerry and Shayne Franzoy continue this tradition of family farming today. We continue to hand-pick most of our produce to ensure the finest quality, but we have modernized as well. Our 850 acres of farmland uses the latest in drip tape irrigation to yield not only bountiful, tasty produce but also to help conserve water. We are also using a chile picking machine to help harvest some of our red chile. Our farms have also been featured on the Food Network’s Glutton for Punishment and the Travel Channels’ Feasty Boys.
We grow:
- Chile, red and green
- Onions
- Pumpkins
- Watermelons
- Alfalfa, Dairy and Horse hay
For more on specific products, see our produce page.