NEWMEXICO MEMBER PROFILE
The Baca Family Bueno Foods Albuquerque, New Mexico
Member Since 2014
13th Generation in New Mexico Continues to Prosper with Chilies
By Tim Linden T he Baca Family of New Mexico has much to be proud of as they have very deep roots in their home state, continue to build a thriving business as their family firm approaches its 70th anniversary, and just may well be the most well educated family in agriculture. “We can trace our roots back to the 1600s,” says Gene Baca, who is senior vice president of Bueno Foods and runs the company with his sister Jackie, who serves as president. The
ownership is split primarily among him and his four sisters. The five Baca siblings have all been involved in the company in many material ways over the years, with four of them still playing very active roles. While the family’s farming roots no doubt also date back to the 1600s as farming was a way of life for virtually everyone in New Mexico four centuries ago, Bueno Foods, or at least its recipes, can be traced to the late 1800s. “My grandmother grew up in Hatch, New Mexico, and it is still many of her recipes that we use today,” Gene said of the recipes his grandmother learned from her ancestors. Of course, Hatch is famous for its eponymous chile, and the New Mexican chile was the mainstay for many dishes in those days and ever since. But Gene’s grandparents had talents far exceeding the ability to make excellent chile-based dishes. His grandmother was also an educated woman and a teacher, and his grandfather was an entrepreneur. They were also prolific in their family-making endeavor as they produced 13 children: 10 sons and three daughters. Almost all the brothers served in the military during World War II, with three of them—August, Ray and Joseph—emerging on the other side with the idea of starting a business, as encouraged by their father. They first formed a small grocery store in Albuquerque called The Ace Food Store and started selling some prepared foods, such as tamales and tortillas, relying on their mother’s recipes. It was difficult to compete with the ever-expanding, burgeoning supermarkets so the three brothers concentrated on manufacturing, again using their mother’s recipes. In 1951, Bueno Foods was started on the three-acre parcel owned by the three brother’s parents, with the kitchen of the family home serving as the production hub. Dishes favored by the
The Baca family members currently involved in the family business, include (from l to r): Catherine, Marie, Gene, Jackie and Ana.
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JULY | AUGUST 2020
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