FAQ's

Q:How can I become a member of the Chile Pepper Institute?
A:To review membership categories go to: Join Us.

Q: Why do I see ‘chile’ spelled so many different ways?
A:The spelling of the word ‘chile’ has a long and varied history. Chile comes from the term chilli that comes from the Aztec, Nahuatl language. According to Jean Andrews the Spanish spelling was later changed to chile by Spanish-speaking Mexicans and chili in the United States. Here at the CPI we state that the term chile refers to the plant or fruit from the plant while the term chili refers to a culinary dish consisting of a meat, beans, tomatoes and chile powder.
Q:Can I visit your Chile Pepper Teaching Garden?
A:Yes. The Garden is generally open from June to October. It is open to the public from 8am-5pm, seven days a week. At the front of the garden are guides that map out the layout and go over the garden theme for that year. A more extensive book of information can be purchased in the Chile Pepper Institute, Rm 265, Gerald Thomas Hall, New Mexico State University. Click here to Visit Us.
Q:How do I get to the Chile Pepper Institute?
A:We are located at Fabian Garcia Research Center, 113 New Mexico State Rd 101, Las Cruces, NM 88005. Click here for a map.
Q:Do you ship chile plants?
A:No, due to state and federal laws, we are unable to ship chile pepper plants.
Q:How can I get answers to chile pepper related questions?
A:There are several ways to get your chile pepper questions answered.
If you live in the United States:
  1. Contact your local Cooperative Extension Service Horticulture Agent
    T    o find your local Horticulture Extension Specialist or Agent is go to www.eXtension.org. Scroll to the bottom of the page and look for the ‘institutional partners’ link. Click on the link. The next page will be a list of universities. Click on the university closest to you. Find the ‘Faculty and Staff’ link. Scroll to locate a horticulture agent, advisor, staff, or faculty member. Contact the person most closely associated with horticulture to address your question.
  2. Look in your local phonebook under county offices (usually blue pages). Your local Cooperative Extension Service Office is under ‘County Government’ and could be labeled ‘Agricultural Extension Service’, ‘Agriculture Service’, ‘Cooperative Extension’, ‘Cooperative Extension Service’ or something similar to any of these names. Call the number and ask to speak to the Master Gardener Volunteer or Horticulture or Agricultural Agent.
If you live in New Mexico:
  1. Call your local Cooperative Extension Service Office and ask to speak to a Master Gardener Volunteer or Horticulture or Agriculture Agent (see instructions for finding the phone number in #2 above).
  2. Review the publications posted at this website (chile information) for detailed information on many common chile pepper questions.
  3. Call or email Stephanie Walker, New Mexico Extension Vegetable Specialist at swalker@nmsu.edu or 575-646-4398.
  4. Buy a Chile Pepper Institute membership. Click here to Join Us. Membership includes a limited amount of time to address individual answers depending on staff availability.
  5. Go to Contact Us. Type in your question and we will reply as time permits. 
 
If you live outside of the United States:
  1. Go online to www.eXtension.org. The site is set up to answer your individual chile pepper questions. Follow the guides. Type in your question and wait for a reply (sometimes takes two to three days).
  2. Review the publications posted at this website for detailed information on many common chile pepper questions.
  3. Click here to learn about buying a Chile Pepper Institute membership. Membership includes a limited amount of time to address individual answers depending on  staff availability.4. Go to the Contact Us. Type in your question and we will reply, as time permits.