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King City
April 13, 2026

Guest Column | A Fuller Picture of Farm Labor: Employer-Led Stability, Affordability and the Importance of Partnership

Christopher Valadez
The harvest is quickly moving toward peak season, with fields of vegetables, leafy greens and strawberries becoming a hub of activity. Those who nurture, irrigate and harvest these crops are essential to the industry’s success, and it is the responsibility of every farmer and...

Farmworker resource center set for Greenfield

GREENFIELD — The drive for Greenfield residents seeking county resources will be shortened with the creation of a farmworker resource center. Monterey County Board of Supervisors approved the allocation of $250,000 on Feb. 1 for the creation of the center in Greenfield. The county allocation...

Monterey County Fair Junior Livestock Auction to honor local youths and their animals

MONTEREY COUNTY — The 2022 Monterey County Fair Junior Livestock Auction is being dedicated to Taylor Farms, the Salinas-based grower and packager of fresh produce that has supported the Fair’s 4-H and FFA exhibitors for more than 20 years by purchasing animals at the...

Women in agtech: Ellie Symes

Editor’s Note: The following profile is an excerpt from Amy Wu’s book, ā€œFrom Farms to Incubators: Women Innovators Revolutionizing How Our Food is Grown,ā€ which tells the stories of women entrepreneurs who are transforming agriculture through high technology. Ellie Symes could easily pass for the...

Lavender Creek expands wellness experience into community workshop series

Lavender Creek
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...

From Gold Rush to global leader: New book explores California’s agricultural history

California Agriculture
CALIFORNIA — Arcadia Publishing has announced the publication of ā€œCalifornia Agriculture,ā€ a new history of the state’s agriculture industry by author Patti DesMarais. The 128-page paperback is part of Arcadia’s ā€œImages of Americaā€ book series, featuring historical information and photographs. Beginning with the Spanish padres in...

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...

Salinas Valley Fair unveils renovated Expo Building

Salinas Valley Fair Expo Building Holaday
KING CITY — Salinas Valley Fair has announced the completion of the extensive renovation of the Expo Building, marking a new chapter in its storied history. The 12,000-square-foot, multipurpose facility underwent upgrades in 2022 and 2023, transforming it into a venue for a wide array...

Salinas Valley Fair 2023 theme winner announced

KING CITY — Salinas Valley Fair has announced that this year’s Fair theme is ā€œBarnyard May-Ham,ā€ suggested by James Hinkle of King City. Hinkle is a sophomore at Palma High School andĀ president of King City Rural 4-H Club. The 16-year-old said he submitted the idea...

Hartnell hosts conference on agriculture industry’s changing workforce needs

SALINAS VALLEY — Hartnell College hosted a special version of the annual Ag Tech Summit — a half-day, in-person program called AgTechX Ed — last month on the Main Campus in Salinas. The Western Growers Center for Innovation and Technology has joined with the California...