Farmer Juan 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 red to pale pink, from golden yellow to dark blue — passed down from his parents and grandparents would disappear. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
IXTENCO, Mexico (AP) — 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.
