When the Santa Fe railroad was expanded around 1880; a railroad flag station and an adobe post office along the line were the start of the village of Hatch. With the abundance of the Chile crop in the area, Hatch came to be known as the Chile Capital of the World. As we all know Chile is rich in vitamins C and A and it is great for burning calories so be sure to come to the annual Hatch Chile festival held on Labor Day weekend and sample one of the famous chile recipes. They also grow onions, pecans, alfalfa, lettuce, cabbage, sweet potatoes, wheat and cotton in the Hatch Valley.

Judges

The Honorable Sabino Ramirez