The Mesilla Valley is the fertile floodplain of the Rio Grande, running from Radium Springs, New Mexico, to the west side of El Paso, Texas. Agriculture is very important here: alfalfa, cotton, chile, onions and corn are cash crops, and Stahmann Farms, south of Las Cruces, owns the world’s largest pecan orchard.
The valley is also known for wine, which began with the Spanish. It belonged to Mexico until the Gadsden Purchase of 1853.