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Success Stories

GSC Chipotle Texas Receives Value-Added Grant

Gayle Aubrey
Business
Grants
GSC Chipotle

Gale Carr, GSC Chipotle Texas, Ltd. received a Value-Added Producer Grant in 2014. Working capital grant funds are being used to cover costs of labor, utilities, packaging, labeling, marketing, promotion and processing of rare and popular chile pepper cultivars.

Carr and his family have been producing quality chile in the far west Texas community of Fort Hancock for more than 20 years and he continually strives to be the best in the industry through the process of vertical integration.

"We have relied on row crops and are now looking toward our new greenhouse facilities to provide the freshest chile available," stated Carr. "We process them in state of the art facilities to deliver the right level of heat to suit any palate."

In 2004, the company developed a proprietary process for bringing about the rich, earthy, smokiness of truly authentic chipotle and incorporated value added processing into the family farming operation. The company offers several lines of original blends and seasonings, as well as, specialty dried and smoked chile and chipotle.

According to Carr, the demand for rare cultivars is high. "Since we entered into value-added processing, we have seen a spike in the popularity of cultivars like Scorpions, Ghost, Aji, Datil, Fatali, and others. Many of these peppers originated in the Far East and Caribbean and because of our climate and limited water supply, are hard to produce in traditional row crop operations. Greenhouse production allows us to tap into that market and arrange growing schedules to capitalize on optimal growth and peak harvest times."

Chipotle Texas is relying on print, social media, web videos and trade shows to approach its target audience. They also rely heavily on the web site www.chipotletexas.com to generate leads and sales. In addition, Carr is incorporating educational videos, product demos and a personal blog to help his customers choose the right products, try new recipes and experiment with the different varieties available in his store.

Obligation Amount:
98,650
Year(s) of Obligation:
Congressional District:
TX-23