IXTENCO, MexicoIXTENCO, 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 years, ...

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

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 years, Vargas worried ...

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 years, Vargas worried ...

If you buy something from a link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement. There are nearly 60 heirloom corn varieties in Mexico, with families and communities cultivating the ...

Heirloom varieties make up far less than 1% of total domestic corn production in Mexico. But for the first time in years, Vargas and others are hopeful about the crop. Some in the academic and public ...

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 “little corn” ...