The University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center kicked off the new semester by hosting their third annual Green Chile Roast, which took place on Tuesday, Aug. 26, and was organized by the UNM Alumni Relations Staff.
The chile was provided for by Mago's Farm, a local farm in Albuquerque that roasts for UNM. Mago’s Farm frequently appears at local markets like the Downtown Growers’ Market and Rail Yards Market ABQ. The farm provides and roasts the chile on-site themselves, which is then distributed into individual orders by the alumni staff.
Mago’s Farm donates all of their services to HSC in order to create more profits for the HSC food bank, Program Manager for Alumni Relations for the UNM School of Medicine, Erika Anderson, said.
The event raised nearly 1,000 dollars last year for the food pantry, Anderson said.
“That was a big impact for them,” Anderson said. “Especially at this time of year when students are coming back.”
Anderson has helped with the HSC chile roast since the event was relocated to UNM’s North Campus. She does this because chile roasting is something that is part of her job description, she said.
Throughout the year, the Alumni Relations Staff travels to host annual Green Chile Roasts region-wide. Some of their upcoming events will be in Salt Lake City, Phoenix and Las Vegas.
Proceeds from the HSC chile roast are donated to the HSC Food Pantry, accessible 24/7 to students with an HSC Badge. Main campus students have their own food pantry known as the Lobo Food Pantry, which is open Monday through Thursday from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The chile roasts are meant to bring Alumni together to reflect traditional New Mexico culture, using things like food, music and tradition to grow closer to each other and celebrate alum life, Anderson said.
“We’ve tried to make it a very fun and inclusive, across-campus effort for alumni, staff members and our people working in the hospital,” Anderson said.
The smell of chile roasting is a memory of home for many New Mexicans. Whether you are native to New Mexico or are from out of state, chile is a sure way to remind yourself of the southwest.
Purchasing chile must be done through the pre-order process, and the bags are meant to be retrieved on the day of the roast. This year, a tortilla walk was also held alongside the chile roast, and bags of tortillas were given away alongside the green chile.
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Lexis Lovato is a freelance reporter with the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com or on X @lovatolexis
