Weed control effort seeks to curb virus threat for Salinas Valley’s lettuce
SALINAS VALLEY — Monterey County has enacted a mandatory abatement program for select weeds as part of an effort to contain the impatiens necrotic spot virus, or INSV, which has severely impacted the region’s lettuce crop in recent years.
Officials are urging residents who notice...
‘Sip, Savor and Support Wine Trail’ fundraiser set for this weekend
SALINAS VALLEY — October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an annual campaign to raise awareness about the impact of breast cancer. In support of this yearly event, the Breast Cancer Assistance Group of Monterey County (BCAG) will be the recipient of funds raised through...
Monterey County crops decline in value after pandemic and fires
MONTEREY COUNTY — Crop values fell in 2020 by a total of $499 million from 2019, with 2020’s total at $3.9 billion, according to the Monterey County Crop Report issued by Monterey County Agricultural Commissioner Henry Gonzales on July 20.
The 11.3% decrease in production...
Youth ready for Salinas Valley Fair’s online livestock auction
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 enters escrow on ag commissioner office in King City
KING CITY — Monterey County Supervisor Chris Lopez announced last week that the county has entered escrow on a property in King City that will host the return of the Monterey County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office in South Monterey County.
The location at 1011 Broadway St....
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...
Food for power
Cesar Mendoza had been a participant in Food, What?!, an organization that brings the youth of Santa Cruz County into the world of farming, food production and cooking.
Supreme Court rules against union recruiting on California farms
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that a California regulation allowing union organizers to recruit agricultural workers at their workplaces violated the constitutional rights of their employers.
The vote was 6-3, with the court’s three liberal members in dissent.
Chief Justice John Roberts, writing...
Federal forestry cuts fuel wildfire, resource concerns in California
CALIFORNIA — As wildfire conditions across California are expected to increase steadily through the summer, state officials last month expressed concerns about cuts in staff and funding at federal agencies, including the U.S. Forest Service, a division within the Agriculture Department that partners with...
