Focus on Agriculture

KING CITY — Monterey County Supervisor Chris Lopez met with a representative from the Latino Equity Advocacy & Policy Institute (LEAP Institute) outside his new District 3 office located at 1011 Broadway St. in King City on Aug. 11. The LEAP Institute recently launched Green...

SALINAS VALLEY — California Department of Water Resources has awarded more than $10 million in funding to the Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency (SVBGSA) through the Sustainable Groundwater Management (SGM) Grant Program to support implementation of SVBGSA’s state-mandated groundwater sustainability plans in four...

After 30 years of making its own wine, Smith Family Wines will discontinue producing the Paraiso, Irie and Alexander-Smith labels and close the tasting room at the Paraiso Vineyards on Paraiso Springs Road in Soledad.

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

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...

KING CITY — Monterey County Cattlemen’s Association (MCCA) is bringing back its annual Team Roping and Ranch Rodeo for a full weekend of western tradition at the Salinas Valley Fairgrounds in King City. The event kicks off Friday, Aug. 22, with team roping, followed by a dinner and calcutta...

KING CITY — An FFA caravan hit Broadway Street last Wednesday as part of the FFA Week lineup for the Future Farmers of America at King City High School. The caravan had 35 vehicles, including diesel trucks from L.A. Hearne and Bassetti Farms, which blew...

MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office has established a dedicated hotline to report agricultural concerns related to farmworker safety as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, wildfire smoke and the safe use of pesticides. The phone number, available for both English and Spanish...

SALINAS VALLEY — A dangerous herbicide banned immediately by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has been sprayed on crops in many California counties and has contaminated groundwater in low concentrations in the Salinas Valley and Santa Barbara County. The weed-killing chemical, known as DCPA or...