Taking the vaccine into the fields to help vulnerable farmworkers
CALIFORNIA — Before state officials announced that 40% of California's new vaccine doses would go to low-income communities, leaders were struggling to make good on promises to prioritize vulnerable Californians in the vaccine rollout.
As my colleague Miriam Jordan recently wrote, farmworkers were among those...
Salinas Valley Fair’s junior livestock auction nets nearly $1M
SALINAS VALLEY — A total of $981,000 was raised for 415 animals at this year’s Salinas Valley Fair junior livestock auction, which took place Saturday before a small crowd of buyers as well as an online component at the fairgrounds in King City.
Still photos...
Guest Column | Restored Funding Needed for Rural Crime Prevention
Farming is often thought of as a way of life and not just a job. Many California farm families have been living this life for generations — and they want to continue the legacy, growing crops, raising livestock and supporting the communities and people...
King City farm labor contractors receive suspended prison sentences for workers’ compensation fraud
KING CITY — Monterey County Judge Rafael Vasquez has sentenced King City residents and farm labor contractors Elias Perez Jr., 43, and Alejandra Perez, 40, to three years in prison for insurance fraud committed between 2013 and 2017.
Vasquez also suspended those prison sentences, placing...
Thousands of respirator masks distributed to Salinas Valley agricultural workers
SALINAS VALLEY — Numerous area leaders recently came together to distribute thousands of N95 respirators to protect agricultural workers, as ongoing air quality problems due to smoke from nearby wildfires caused essential workers in the outdoors to be in danger.
Last week the Air Quality...
Lockwood 4-H hosts virtual record book workshops
LOCKWOOD — Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, Lockwood 4-H Club has managed to stay active with several events.
On Feb. 13, the club hosted the first of three County Record Book Workshops. Of the 14 4-H clubs in Monterey County, eight of those clubs had members...
National Agriculture Week 2026: Celebrating Growth, Innovation and Farming
National Agriculture Week 2026 will be observed March 15-21, with National Ag Day falling on March 24. The annual week highlights the vital role agriculture plays in the United States — providing food, jobs and economic stability — and encourages Americans to recognize the industry’s contributions...
Scheid Vineyards shows off herbicide-free environment
GREENFIELD — Scheid Vineyards hosted an Earth Day tour of its Greenfield location in late April, sharing some of its growing practices in an attempt to make its wine production more environmentally friendly.
Founded in 1972, Scheid Vineyards has 3,200 acres with 40 different varieties...
Farms statewide hit by storms and floods
MONTEREY COUNTY — Warm atmospheric river storms wreaked havoc on California last week, causing widespread flooding from rain and snowmelt, which overfilled rivers and creeks, displaced residents, washed out roads and damaged agriculture.
In Monterey County, there was significant flooding along the Salinas River and...
