The Fabian Garcia Research Center started in 1906 and was named after pioneering New Mexico State University chile breeder Fabian Garcia. Garcia was inducted into the American Society for Horticultural Science Hall of Fame. During a five-decade career at NMSU. Garcia laid the foundation for the state’s $400 million chile pepper industry.

Fabian Garcia Research Center not only houses the Chili Pepper Institute, but includes, and is not limited to research plots and greenhouses supporting alfalfa breeding and genetics, viticulture, cotton, horticulture, nematology, micro-plot, turf grass water management, IR-4, and onion research.

The NMSU onion breeding program is one of the only two active, public onion breeding programs in the United States that is releasing cultivars and germplasm lines. NMSU was recently granted $450,000 to research algae for bio diesel.

The viticulture program has recently planted many grape varieties which you will see on the east side of farm. A Wine Making class is held at the farm.  

There is a nearby Gazebo which is popular for weddings and photo shoots.  You can see the gazebo to the north of the iris gardens.  The iris gardens have bio-solids mixed in with the soil.

Bio-solids were added to the clay-like soil by club members.  Both club members and agriculture students maintained the garden.