---
title: "Western Growers Adds a New Crop: The New Mexico Chile"
id: "37631"
type: "post"
slug: "western-growers-adds-a-new-crop-the-new-mexico-chile"
published_at: "2017-04-03T20:31:33+00:00"
modified_at: "2017-04-03T20:31:33+00:00"
url: "https://associationsnow.com/2017/04/03/western-growers-adds-a-new-crop-the-new-mexico-chile/"
markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2017/04/03/western-growers-adds-a-new-crop-the-new-mexico-chile.md"
excerpt: "In joining a new partnership with Western Growers, the New Mexico Chile Association will gain additional support on policy issues. Western Growers, meanwhile, benefits by adding another state to its member base."
taxonomy_category:
  - "Advocacy"
taxonomy_post_tag:
  - "AssociationsNow"
  - "EU policy"
  - "local agriculture"
  - "Membership"
  - "partnerships"
  - "trade associations"
taxonomy_content_format:
  - "Article"
taxonomy_role:
  - "Association CEO / Executive Director"
  - "Executive Team"
taxonomy_persona:
  - "Executive Leadership"
---

[Home](https://associationsnow.com/)
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 » Western Growers Adds a New Crop: The New Mexico Chile

Thanks to a new partnership, New Mexico’s spicy chiles could get a little help in Washington, DC.

Late last month, the New Mexico Chile Association [announced it had come to an agreement (opens in a new tab)](http://www.freshfruitportal.com/news/2017/03/31/u-s-western-growers-signs-mou-new-mexico-chile-association/)
 with the much larger trade group Western Growers, allowing NMCA to take advantage of Western Growers’ broad strategic resources—particularly on issues of federal policy support and member benefits.

As part of the deal, NMCA members will become Western Growers members, though the local association will handle state-level activities.

In a news release, NMCA President Rick Ledbetter noted that the two groups overlapped on many issues, making the approach a natural one.

“The New Mexico chile industry deals with many of the same challenges as our counterparts in other western states, including trade, food safety, water, immigration and labor,” [Ledbetter explained in the release (opens in a new tab)](https://www.wga.com/press-releases/western-growers-forms-partnership-new-mexico-chile-association)
. “We are confident that the reputation of Western Growers and the expertise of their staff based in California and Washington, D.C., will generate significant benefit and value for our members.”

Western Growers President and CEO Tom Nassif noted that the new partnership helps the association expand its member base beyond its traditional strongholds of California and Arizona, as well as its more recent inroads into Colorado.

“Today, we are proud to add New Mexico chile growers to our ranks, and look forward to working together to resolve the pressing concerns facing western agriculture,” he added.

(iStock/Thinkstock)

[Ernie Smith](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/)

Ernie Smith is a former senior editor for Associations Now.

[More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/)

Tags: [#EU policy](https://associationsnow.com/tag/eu-policy/)
 [#local agriculture](https://associationsnow.com/tag/local-agriculture/)
 [#Membership](https://associationsnow.com/tag/membership/)
 [#partnerships](https://associationsnow.com/tag/partnerships/)
 [#trade associations](https://associationsnow.com/tag/trade-associations/)

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