In a move meant to protect some of Colorado’s most prized produce — from Palisade peaches and Olathe sweetcorn to Pueblo green chiles — Gov. Jared Polis signed a new law Wednesday cracking down on counterfeit products. 

House Bill 1031, which passed the legislature unanimously, makes it a deceptive trade practice to market fruits and vegetables as Colorado-grown if those products were produced in a different state. The measure also prohibits sellers from using the “Colorado Proud” logo unless authorized by the state Department of Agriculture. 

Violating those provisions could result in fines of up to $20,000. 

“Ever since the 1893 World’s Fair, and confirmed by the 1904 World’s Fair, Colorado produce — particularly western Colorado produce — has been highlighted as the world’s best,” said bill sponsor Rep. Matt Soper, D-Delta, referencing events in which the state won top honors for its fruits and vegetables. 

“And that’s because of our cool nights and warm days and pure Rocky Mountain snowmelt water,” Soper added. “… We want to protect that.”

Other bill sponsors are Rep. Matthew Martinez, D-Monte Vista, and Sens. Dylan Roberts, D-Frisco, and Marc Catlin, R-Montrose. 

Soper said he got the idea for the bill after being told by the Palisade Chamber of Commerce that they had concerns about imposter peaches and other out-of-state produce purporting to be from Colorado. 

“Protecting the authenticity of Colorado’s iconic agricultural products is essential to sustaining rural economies and preserving the heritage that makes these regions so unique,” Palisade Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Jessica Burford told lawmakers in February during the bill’s first committee hearing.  

Proponents of the measure say that when counterfeit products enter the market, it not only undercuts Colorado producers but also harm the state’s reputation for certain high-quality produce. 

“When someone buys something, a Palisade peach, and it’s rock hard, and they throw it away and say, ‘I won’t buy another one,’ … it hurts the families who produce that,” Catlin said. 

Polis said consumers value the “Colorado Proud” brand, and made a nod to the state’s long-running, friendly competition with its southern neighbor. 

“We certainly don’t want people thinking (New Mexico) hatch chiles are Pueblo chiles,” Polis said. 

Polis has already signed several other agricultural-focused bills from the current legislative session. 

That includes measures expanding eligibility for agricultural loans and funds to help farmers with diseased livestock, as well as a bill granting property tax exemptions to more ranchers and farmers.