Gills receive award for dedication to Salinas Valley agriculture and community
KING CITY — In a gathering that underscored the enduring spirit of innovation and generosity in California’s “Salad Bowl of the World,” David and Susan Gill of King City received the prestigious E.E. “Gene” Harden Lifetime Achievement Award from the Grower-Shipper Association of Central...
King City mural dedication ceremony reflects on agriculture’s impact
KING CITY — King City in Bloom hosted a dedication ceremony on June 24 for the recently completed mural, “A Tribute to Cattle Ranching and the Salinas Valley Fair,” which is the organization’s third historic mural in the town.
Project co-chair Steve Schmidt spoke...
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...
New well registration program aims to protect Salinas Valley groundwater
SALINAS VALLEY — Monterey County Water Resources Agency (MCWRA) and the Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency (SVBGSA) have launched a new well registration program to better understand and protect groundwater resources in the Salinas Valley.
All well owners are asked to register their wells for free...
South County farmer to receive national award in September
South County organic farmer Israel Morales Sr. of JV Farms Organic in Soledad will receive the Organic Farmer of the Year Award at the Organic Trade Association’s Leadership Awards set for Sept. 11 at the Belvedere Hotel in Baltimore, Md.
Bradley Elementary School to build first community garden
BRADLEY — Bradley Elementary School is building its first-ever community garden, utilizing donations from community partners like Chevron and mentorship from staff and students at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly).
The garden will be used for educational learning, with students having the opportunity to...
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...
From horses to Merrill’s Thundering Herd: Rose Escobar shares love of rodeo and serving others
SALINAS VALLEY — Ever since a young child, Rose Escobar dreamed of becoming a Rodeo Queen — a best-in-class combination of horsemanship and athletic abilities paired with personal skills of public speaking and knowledge of the heritage of agriculture.
That dream came true this year...
Women in agtech: Fatma Kaplan
Editor’s Note: The following profile is an excerpt from Amy Wu’s 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.
Fatma Kaplan’s advice to her younger self...
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...

















