Shoemaker also hopes to develop a "reciprocal seed bank" to redistribute heirloom seeds to native people. Heirloom corn has a lot to offer modern food consumers, he noted.

IXTENCO, Mexico — On the slopes of the Malinche volcano, Juan Vargas starts the dawn routine he’s had since childhood, carefully checking stalks of colorful native corn. For y… ...

Vargas’ heirloom corn sells for around $1.17 per kilogram abroad, more than three times the price for his white. If demand keeps growing, he’ll plant more. He boasts about his colorful ...

For years, Vargas worried that these heirloom varieties -- running from deep red to pale pink, from golden yellow to dark blue -- passed down from his parents and grandparents would disappear.

At Oro By Nixta, chefs Kate and Gustavo Romero lean into the versatility of humble corn. The restaurant, which opened in the spring of 2023 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, highlights corn in nearly ...

For years, Vargas worried that these heirloom varieties — running from deep red to pale pink, from golden yellow to dark blue — passed down from his parents and grandparents would disappear.

We import most of our corn from Mexico. There are 59 Mexican heirloom varieties, and we’ve used about a third of that—some varieties are just too difficult to source in large quantities.

Vargas’ heirloom corn sells for around $1.17 per kilogram abroad, more than three times the price for his white. If demand keeps growing, he’ll plant more. He boasts about his colorful ...

Heirloom corn won’t be an easy sell for farmers like Isidro Caporal. He entered the Chapingo University program last year but still has crossbred corn fed with chemical fertilizers planted on ...

Farmer Jesus Vargas shows samples of his heirloom corn grown on his farm in Ixtenco, Mexico, Thursday, June 15, 2023. For years, Vargas worried that these heirloom varieties — running from deep ...