We in Boulder County have front row seats to a drama being played out with plenty of audience participation. The story mimics great literature. There are impassioned and colorful characters, tensions between rural and urban ways of life, financial gain, political and philosophical differences of opinion, and of course political power plays. On November 30, 2016, the Boulder County Commissioners voted 2-1 to phase out genetically modified crops on county-owned farmland. The county commissioners voted April 13 to approve a plan that would ban GMO corn by the end of 2019 and sugar beets by the end of 2021.

Andre Housey. Photo courtesy of Andre Housey.

Famuer Rasmussen Jr., a third-generation Colorado farmer in Boulder County, who mostly farms on county land, spoke during the final two hours of testimony before the vote: “In farming, a five year deadline to force something new is the equivalent of a past-due notice. Making change in a responsible way takes patient work and time. Starting the clock on the transition plan before local research produces results is irresponsible.”

This was last fall, and the county process of hiring a contractor to conduct research on non-GMO farming options has yet to bear fruit. The county has committed to test methods that are not just steps backward in terms of production, profitability, and environmental impact through more plowing and spray- ing. This comes at a time when the County has recently hired Blake Cooper as the new Agricultural Resources Division Manager. The policy includes a provision that county staff work with the farmers to minimize financial hardship. Cooper is hopeful that creative solutions can be found: “There is a tremendous amount of progress we can make. Clearly both sides are highly emotional. We need to ratchet down the rhetoric, stay open- minded and look for ways we can find common ground and coexist.”

One of the crops frequently grown in the Boulder area is sugar beets. Non-GMO commercial sugar beet seeds are not available, so they will most likely be phased out of production on county land. Non-GMO corn is currently a part of conventional farmers’ rotations and farmers can demand higher prices for their harvest. Bob Condon of Cottonwood Farms grows non-GMO corn and expects to be able to sell it for a higher price than GMO corn. And certified organic corn could fetch even higher prices. Andre Housey of Jacobs Creek Farm says, “There is a demand for non- GMO grains in Boulder County. I am having to buy organic feed from Nebraska right now, others are doing the same, and we are paying a premium.” Converting to USDA organic is a costly process, though. New equipment may be needed, especially for weed control. Many
county farmers use ditch water which makes growing corn in this dry environment possible, but that also brings weeds along with it. Another expense is the record keeping and fees for the organic certification process. Con- don claims these expenses are part of what keeps him from getting certified Organic.

But regardless of the costs and drawbacks to phasing out GMO crops, the county votes of the past year mean that change is definitely a comin’. Some, like Housey, are looking for- ward to these changes. He says, “The people of Boulder County have spoken, and they are wanting a type of agriculture on their land that lines up more with their values.” But Rasmussen and others like him are not as excited about being told to remove the GMO tool from their shed, especially without empirical research to justify the arguments against it.

With the clock ticking towards towards the end of the GMO-era in Boulder, it remains to be seen whether farmers like Rasmussen will adapt or hang up their boots.

The post GMOs: Neighbor Feud appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

A cerulean-skied homestead, third-generation farmers and vast fields of organic food — these are all images that come to mind when buying produce from the Boulder Farmer’s Market or a local CSA. But this is a story that only reigns true for fresh fruits and vegetables; when we think of packaged food, the image is much hazier.

Quinn Snacks‘ co-founder and farm-to-bag pioneer Kristy Lewis is on a mission to make packaged food just as transparent as farm-fresh produce. “People are still reaching for snacks — whether it’s for a movie night, a sports game or a day at the park” Lewis explained. That’s the reason she co-founded Quinn snacks: a new kind of snack company that connects consumers with the farmers that grew their food.

Quinn snacks began with a simple desire to clean up microwave popcorn, which is traditionally brimming with preservatives and hard-to-pronounce ingredients. That dream came to life in an unheated Boston attic in 2011, and ever since, the conscious snack company has expanded to five different flavors of microwave popcorn. Quinn Snacks has also broadened its product line to include pre-popped popcorn, pop at home kernels, and most recently, gluten-free pretzels. The latter is especially notable because it’s the first Non-GMO Project verified, whole grain, ancient grain pretzel on the market that maintains a traditional pretzel taste.

Staying transparent in its operations requires Quinn Snacks to be extremely fastidious when choosing suppliers, and the company sources in the U.S. whenever possible. “We push very hard on our growers and farmers so we can have a positive impact on the environment,” Lewis said.

The farm-to-bag page on Quinn Snacks’ website offers detailed information about all of their eco-friendly farms, which provide ingredients like Philippine fair-trade coconut oil, Chinese monk fruit, and rbgh-free butter from Kentucky. The time and money required to uphold such standards may contradict traditional business standards, but Lewis stands by the company’s mission. “It’s this kind of radical transparency that will transform the industry and help to rebuild a food system that people can trust,” she explained. Lewis also maintains the conviction that reforming our food system won’t happen without a unified effort. “We all have to believe that we can change the industry in order to do so.”

It’s that reason Boulder is so important to upholding the mission of Quinn Snacks. Lewis credits local residents for helping the company overcome challenges and achieve its goals. “We have a right to know where our food comes from. That’s what we’re doing at Quinn, and the Boulder community is one of our biggest supporters,” Lewis said. Quinn Snacks’ modestly-sized team of seven is rooted in what Colorado has to offer. “Every single person that works here loves the natural foods industry, our special community and our mountains. We live and breathe Colorado.”

Although the change-driven food company hasn’t yet reached profitability, Lewis is quick to assure that their mission will always come first, no matter what the future holds. “I will tell you this: when that time comes, we will never sacrifice our mission for more pennies.”

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