Acequia farmers in Colorado set to declare ban on GMO corn and alfalfa

http://ejfood.blogspot.com/2015/11/nongmo-movement-acequia-farmers-in.html

Selection of the 2015 native heirloom maize harvest of the seed library of

The Acequia Institute in Viejo San Acacio, CO

Photo by Devon G. Peña

Costilla County introduces ordinance establishing a GMO-free zone to protect traditional farmers’ varieties

CULEBRA WATERSHED IS A CENTER OF ORIGIN AND DIVERSITY OF MAIZE

Devon G. Peña | Viejo San Acacio, CO | November 12, 2015

THE CENTER FOR FOOD SAFETY (CFS) has issued a press release this morning announcing support for a new ordinance introduced today in Costilla County, Colorado that would establish a “Center of Origin” GMO-Free Zone of Protection to preserve the county’s unique agricultural products and traditional farming systems. The ordinance is intended to protect the county’s traditional acequia (community irrigation ditch) farmers and their land race heirloom maize varieties that are unique to the Upper Rio Grande watershed.  The GMO-Free Zone will help traditional and organic farmers avoid the serious risk of transgenic contamination from nearby genetically engineered (GE) crops, particularly GE corn.