Focus on Agriculture

SALINAS VALLEY — Salinas Valley Fair activities will begin this week with the virtual junior livestock auction set for Saturday, May 8. Like last year, Covid-19 pandemic health guidelines have caused an online format and an earlier scheduling than the traditional mid-May fair dates. Youth from...

MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County residents can now put food scraps, including cooked meat and bones, among other kinds, in the green curbside cart, to be composted with their yard trimmings. With the greater convenience comes a big reduction in harm to the climate. When food...

MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County Cannabis Program is in the process of assessing how communities have been impacted by cannabis prohibition and the War on Drugs and exploring how to more equitably develop this new industry.  Tier 1 funding from the California Office of Business...

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...

SALINAS VALLEY — Monterey County health officials have been working with agricultural companies and have reiterated safety plans with the onset of the new growing season, with the goal of keeping ag workers safe and the food supply network stable. “With the start of the...

Editor’s Note: The following profile is an excerpt from Amy Wu’s upcoming book, “From Farms to Incubators: Women Innovators Revolutionizing How Our Food is Grown,” which tells the stories of women entrepreneurs who are transforming agriculture through high technology. Claudia Pizarro-Villalobos was born and raised...

KING CITY — Aspire Health, in close collaboration with Blue Zones Project Monterey County, has announced the expansion of the Double Up Food Bucks (DUFB) program to South Monterey County. Launched in November 2023 at the La Princesa Markets on Williams Road and East Alisal...

As we all manage the implementation of our groundwater management sustainability plans in the next 15 years, there will be some hard choices that communities will need to make. Most of these will include financing various water supply solutions, such as resource projects, land...

KING CITY — Roughly 1,400 third graders from South Monterey County schools attended the 2024 South County Farm Day last Thursday to learn about agriculture and experience animals firsthand.  The annual enrichment program, sponsored by Monterey County Agricultural Education, gives an opportunity for youth to...

SALINAS VALLEY — Monterey County Agricultural Commissioner Henry Gonzales has released the county’s 2019 Crop Report, which included an evaluation of cannabis production for the first time. “This report reflects a production value of $4,409,992,000, which is an increase of 3.5 percent from 2018,” Gonzales...