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...
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...
Ag Land Trust receives more than $8M in grants to preserve Salinas Valley farmlands
SALINAS VALLEY — California Strategic Growth Council has approved more than $8.3 million in grants to the Ag Land Trust (ALT), a nonprofit dedicated to farmland preservation along the state’s Central Coast.
The funding will enable the organization to purchase conservation easements on three key...
Regional drone program lands $1M grant
SALINAS VALLEY — University of California Santa Cruz’s CITRIS Initiative for Drone Education and Research (CIDER) along with several partners has received a $1 million, 15-month planning grant to support regional drone education and workforce development from the James Irvine Foundation.
The funds will be...
Salinas Valley Fair kick-off draws strong turnout
KING CITY — Salinas Valley Fair hosted its annual Fair Kick-Off Dinner, Dance and Auction last Saturday at the fairgrounds in King City, where an estimated 450 guests attended.
The April 23 evening featured a dinner cooked by King City Young Farmers, a live auction...
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,...
Monterey County crops fall 6.1% in value last year
MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County Agricultural Commissioner Juan Hidalgo has announced the release of the 2023 Annual Crop and Livestock Report, which recorded a production gross value of just over $4.35 billion, reflecting a 6.1% decrease from 2022.
“The values represented here reflect gross values...
Monterey County supervisors spare sputtering cannabis equity grant program
MONTEREY COUNTY — A Monterey County program to ensure equity in the local commercial cannabis market is sputtering but will continue on a smaller scale.
The county Board of Supervisors voted unanimously March 19 to continue the Growing Equity Together program, known as GET, despite...
Salinas, Soledad celebrate National Salad Month
In celebration of National Salad Month and in recognition of the great agriculture bounty of the Central Coast, the California Welcome Center Salinas and the Soledad Visitors and Gateway Center will be giving out free samples of fruits and vegetables.
Women in agtech: Jackie Vazquez
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.
Jackie Vazquez spends the majority of...
