Monterey County agriculture pumps more than $11B into local economy, study finds
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,...
Monterey County’s 2022 Crop Report reveals strength in lettuce industry, weakness in cannabis production
MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County’s crop production increased in value last year by more than $500 million despite decreases in both wine grapes and cannabis, according to the county’s 2022 Crop and Livestock Report.
Overall gross crop and livestock production was over $4.6 billion in...
King City 4-H, FFA partner on industrial arts project
KING CITY — King City Rural 4-H recently collaborated with King City High School FFA to offer an industrial arts project for its members for the first time.
This rare collaboration included help from KCHS ag teacher Blaise Chaney, who opened up the school’s state-of-the-art...
King City doctor launches Justice with Health’s clinic book program
KING CITY — Next month, 18,000 children’s books will be distributed to low-income health clinics in Monterey and Solano counties as part of a revolutionary new reading program targeting farmworker families.
Joshua Deutsch, a family physician at Mee Memorial Hospital in King City and Greenfield,...
Smith Family Wines discontinues wine production
After 30 years of making its own wine, Smith Family Wines will discontinue producing the Paraiso, Irie and Alexander-Smith labels and close the tasting room at the Paraiso Vineyards on Paraiso Springs Road in Soledad.
California Food Policy Council gathers in Salinas to chart a resilient, equitable food future
SALINAS VALLEY — More than 75 food leaders, farmers, advocates and policymakers from across California gathered in November for Growing the Future Together, the first in-person statewide convening of the California Food Policy Council (CAFPC) since the pandemic.
Hosted in Salinas — the “Salad Bowl...
Farmers, technology converge at AgTechx Expo
Hundreds gathered at the AgTechx Expo last Thursday at the Salinas Valley Fairgrounds in King City to learn about the latest advances in how to better keep the public food supply safe from dangerous pathogens.
Who will fulfill the vision of Cesar Chavez?
More than three decades ago, Cesar Chavez, founder of the first successful union for farmworkers, predicted a future in which the cities of California would be run by people who looked like him.
“History and inevitability are on our side,” he said in one of his best-known...
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...
