Focus on Agriculture

MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County agriculture pumped more than $11 billion into the local economy in 2023 and supported 81,315 jobs, according to a new economic report. Assistant Agricultural Commissioner Rich Ordonez released the latest comprehensive analysis of the county’s largest industry on Nov. 18,...

UPDATE — Nov. 7, 2025: Full November SNAP/CalFresh benefits have begun posting to the EBT cards of Monterey County residents, according to the County of Monterey Department of Social Services on Friday. “The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) is telling us that California has initiated...

SALINAS VALLEY — California Strategic Growth Council has approved more than $8.3 million in grants to the Ag Land Trust (ALT), a nonprofit dedicated to farmland preservation along the state’s Central Coast. The funding will enable the organization to purchase conservation easements on three key...

KING CITY — In a gathering that underscored the enduring spirit of innovation and generosity in California’s “Salad Bowl of the World,” David and Susan Gill of King City received the prestigious E.E. “Gene” Harden Lifetime Achievement Award from the Grower-Shipper Association of Central...

GREENFIELD — Lavender Creek, a family-run lavender farm and growing wellness brand near Greenfield in South Monterey County, has transformed its first Lavender Wellness Experience at the farm into a growing series of community workshops that bring calm and comfort directly to seniors and...

SALINAS VALLEY — Several dozen community members gathered for a news conference at the County Government Center in Salinas last Tuesday to release a new study that found that pregnant women in Monterey County are more likely to be exposed to far higher levels...

KING CITY — On King City’s First Street, so-named because it was, stands a metal building with a clock. This is the Meyers Farmworker Housing Facility, a dorm-style seasonal home for more than 350 agricultural workers from Latin America. Since David Gill, Steve Scaroni and...

CHUALAR — Monterey County has honored the last surviving Bracero of the 1963 Chualar train tragedy, recognizing his life story and the enduring legacy of Bracero workers during Bracero Worker History Recognition Week. During a special ceremony Sept. 16 at the Monterey County Board of...

KING CITY — A rare and beautifully restored steam-powered tractor has found its new home at the Monterey County Agricultural and Rural Life Museum (MCARLM), thanks to the generosity of Jenny Edson Sterling and the dedicated efforts of the museum’s board to preserve Monterey County’s agricultural...

KING CITY — King City planning commissioners have delayed a final decision on the Meyers Farmworker Housing Facility until their Oct. 7 meeting. The 4-0 vote came during the Planning Commission’s Aug. 19 meeting, where numerous community members, business owners and farmworkers spoke out on...