In The News
Albuquerque Journal: Business Outlook: Monday Morning, May 23, 2011
A GOOD 60 YEARS
Bueno Foods, Baca family sustained by education, business acumen, giving back to their community
Click here to see the Business Outlook Article (pdf)
West Side Journal: Thursday, May 19, 2011
South Valley’s Proud Tradition
Bueno Foods celebrates 60 years of being local business
By Elaine D. Briseño, Journal Staff Writer
Bags filled with green chile wait to land in the hands of
Albuquerque residents Wednesday, when Bueno Foods
gave away the free chile to celebrate 60 years of business.
Adolphe Pierre-Louis/Journal
World War II was over and three brothers from the South Valley — Joe, Augustine and Raymond Baca — had taken advantage of their GI Bills and earned college educations.
They returned to the South Valley, degrees in hand, wanting to make a life where they grew up, but there were no jobs to be found, said Ana Baca, daughter of Joe Baca.
The three scraped together enough money to open a grocery store, and so marked the beginning of what would become Bueno Foods.
Wednesday, the South Valley business celebrated its 60th year by planting trees in the bosque and handing out free chile.
The company specializes in New Mexican food, including tortillas and roasted chile, and its products are sold to grocery stores and restaurants throughout the Southwest.
Ana Baca and her siblings still run the business. Through all the changes, Baca said one thing has been consistent — the company’s commitment to the South Valley.
In the early 1980s, the company decided to expand its operations. “When we built the plant in 1984, we decided to keep it in Barelas,” she said. “They key to us was to provide jobs for people in this community.”
The company has also forged a strong relationship with nearby Dolores Gonzales Elementary. It provides a book for every second-grade student and Baca, an author, often reads to children at the school. Each school year Bueno Foods gives the top two or three fifth-graders a $50 savings bond.
Dora Ortiz, who has been principal of the school for 23 years, said the company has a long-standing relationship with the students and their families. It donates food for special events at the school and supports education in general.
“They have been really wonderful partners,” she said. “They very much care about students and families in our community.”
Rep. Henry “Kiki” Saavedra, D-Albuquerque, who also grew up in the South Valley, said he remembers going to the Baca’s grocery store, The Ace Food Store, when he was a kid.
“They are a great family,” he said. “And they located exactly where we need businesses.”
Baca said the family has never really considered being anywhere else than in the South Valley.
“It’s a place filled with our history, and by staying here we remain connected and grounded to our roots,” she said. “Because our father, who was born in Barelas and grew up here in the South Valley, died so young, staying here enables us to have a connection with him and with my grandfather, Refujio, who worked for the railroad all his life. We take great pride in being able to carry on their legacy of providing jobs to people of this community.” Business Outlook
Bueno Foods, the history of the company and the people behind the business, will be featured in Monday’s Albuquerque Journal in the Business Outlook section.
The Deming Headlight
Bueno Foods hands out books, tortillas at Bell School
By Kevin Buey Headlight Staff
Ana Baca and Gene Baca had
books and Bueno Foods Tortillas
for Bell...
(Kevin Buey/Headlight Photo)Albuquerque's Bueno Foods is 60-years-old this month.
It is celebrating by distributing copies of "Tia's Tamales" written by Bueno Foods' Marketing Director Ana Baca.
In a presentation sponsored by State Sen. John Arthur Smith and State Rep. Dona Irwin, Baca and her brother, Gene (Bueno's Senior Vice-president), were at Deming's Bell Elementary School to talk with students Monday and give the school 60 copies of "Tia's Tamales," which is illustrated by Noel Chilton.
The Bacas, Irwin and Smith, also distributed to the school's 179 students a package each of Bueno Foods' Tortillas.
Baca, who has also written the children's books "Benito's Sopaipillas," "Chiles for Benito" and "Benito's Bizcochitos," urged Bell students to devote time to reading.
Through a show of hands, she found numerous Bell students aspire to write, many to illustrate books and many who wish to do both.
"I've been writing since I was 9-years-old," she said. "When I was your age, there were no books about kids like me. The reason I wrote ... I wanted to celebrate the food right here in New Mexico."
Her father Joseph and uncles Raymond and August began Bueno Foods, May 18, 1951. The 60th birthday has also been celebrated by planting 60 trees in the Rio Grande Bosque near Albuquerque and by distributing containers of chiles in Albuquerque on May 18.
The books celebrate literacy and education, with 600 to be distributed to New Mexico schools in low-income areas.
Books are important in her family, Baca said.
"To my grandmother," she told Bell students, "having a bookshelf of book was more important than having underwear."
Her grandmother, she said, would use money to buy books while her underwear became shredded.
"I hope you read a lot this Summer," Baca said, "that you have a bookshelf full of books and that books are more important to you than underwear."
Baca has also written "Mama Fela's Girls," a novel set in the depression. It portray three generations of strong women determined to help their family through difficult times.
Cibola Beacon : Published Thursday, May 26, 2011 7:00 PM MDT
San Rafael students receive gifts: A BOOK FOR EVERY YOUNGSTER
By Rosanne Boyett, Beacon Staff Writer
State Senator David Ulibarri, left,
and Representative Ken Martinez, are giving each
San Rafael Elementary School student a copy of
“Tia’s Tamales” along with a package of
12 flour tortillas to take home and
share with family members. BEACON / COURTESY
The 30-minute program was filled with fun and laughter, according to Sergio Castanon, San Rafael Elementary School principal.
“The children loved every minute of it,” said Castanon.
“All 65 students received a copy of ‘Tia’s Tamales’ and those that were absent will also get one.” A review of the book will be in Tuesday’s Beacon.
Altogether 75 students and staff members were given personal copies of the book, said author Ana Baca.
The principal recalled the audience’s response to Baca’s presentation. “The students were thrilled to have a real author come and speak with them,” he said.
In addition to a copy of the book, each child was given a package of one dozen flour tortillas to share with family members, according to Baca who is co-owner of Bueno Foods.
‘Wow, a real author’ - San Rafael Elementary School
students are fascinated by author Ana Baca’s
presentation on “Tia’s Tamales.” BEACON / JARAMILLO“Education has always been important to my family and we focus on education and literacy in our (company’s) charitable work,” explained the author. “For our 60th anniversary, one thing we wanted to do was to share our love of reading with the children of our community.Earlier this month the company had contacted David Ulibarri, District 30 state senator, and asked him to recommend an area school.
“My wife went to the San Rafael school,” explained Ulibarri. “When Ana Baca told me they were looking to give books to small schools, I thought San Rafael was a perfect choice.”
He recalled visiting the school Monday morning and said, “At the end of the program the children lined up as they got ready to go back to their classrooms. Representative Ken Martinez and I took turns handing out books and packages of tortillas. It was a lot of fun and we also gave tortillas to people in the audience.”
Martinez agreed and said, “It was a delightful event and the children were excited to meet an author. What a wonderful way for a New Mexico business to celebrate its anniversary by giving back to the community.” He recalled that the youngsters seemed fascinated to learn first-hand about writing and illustrating books.
Baca acknowledged that one of the school’s teachers is Monique Martinez, wife of the District 69 representative to the state legislature.
The author said she always includes some her family memories when talking with school children.
“I tell them about my grandmother whose dream was to get a college diploma,” said the author. “It took her 21 years because she raised a family and was the breadwinner, but the day she received that diploma was the proudest day of her life. And I remember how her shelves were always filled with books.
“I hope that books will become as important to these children as they were to my grandmother,” Baca said. She talked about her family and the company’s creation.
“My father and uncles started Bueno Foods as a way to provide jobs for themselves and others in the community when jobs were hard to come by. Their father Refujio had always dreamed of having his own business,” explained the author.
The Albuquerque resident has written four bi-lingual children’s books. “I also do book readings and talk about literacy at elementary schools,” she said. “In 2006, we created our ‘Rewards for Good Grades’ program for our employees’ families to encourage education and to relay the message: education is the key to opportunity,” said Baca, via email.
Since 1989 the company has supported high school graduates’ dreams by offering substantial scholarships, according to Baca.
Her book “Tia’s Tamales” tells a story about four generations sharing traditional family recipes. The book is bi-lingual, with one page written in English and the facing page in Spanish. Colorful drawings illustrate the story.