Lavender Creek awarded 2024 SBDC Business of the Year for Monterey Bay region
GREENFIELD — Lavender Creek, a family-owned lavender farm and wellness brand located in South Monterey County, has been awarded the 2024 Central Coast Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Business of the Year for the Monterey Bay region.
The Central Coast SBDC’s recognition highlights Lavender Creek’s...
Guest Column | A Fuller Picture of Farm Labor: Employer-Led Stability, Affordability and the Importance of Partnership
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...
Monterey County receives 750,000 masks for farmworkers
MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County has received 750,000 procedure masks from the state specifically to protect agricultural workers in the area.
The delivery arrived May 7 after the Monterey County Emergency Medical Services Agency Medical Operation Area Coordinator requested them to safeguard farmworkers in the...
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...
Miss Salinas Valley Fair competition opens for 2026 applicants
KING CITY — Salinas Valley Fair is now accepting applications for the 2026 Miss Salinas Valley Fair Competition, offering young women the chance to serve as ambassadors for one of the region’s most recognized events.
Eligible contestants must be ages 16 to 20 and reside...
Women in agtech: Claudia Pizarro-Villalobos
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...
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...
Wine grape harvest begins gradually
Monterey County Vintners and Growers Association (MCVGA) has announced the beginning of the 2018 wine grape harvest in Monterey Wine Country.
