Focus on Agriculture

KING CITY — Construction crews recently finished pouring the foundation for King City High School’s new Future Farmers of America facility, which is taking shape at the former Mildred Street parking lot on the east end of the campus. The facility will feature new areas...

SALINAS — Multiple agencies from across Monterey County responded to a four-alarm fire that severely damaged Taylor Farms’ food production facility in Salinas last Wednesday. The 225,000-square-foot building, located in the 1200 block of Abbott Street, had been closed for the winter but was in...

MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County Board of Supervisors narrowly voted Jan. 9 to make changes to its outdoor cannabis cultivation pilot program, allowing growers to double their canopy size and eliminate a requirement that made permit applicants prove cannabis was cultivated on the property...

SALINAS VALLEY — Hartnell College announced it has received a multi-year grant of $260,000 from Bank of America that will strengthen its ability to help Salinas Valley agricultural workers succeed and advance in an industry increasingly shaped by technology and automation. The grant will support...

KING CITY — Hundreds of South Monterey County third graders took part in the 2026 South County Farm Day on Jan. 22 at the Salinas Valley Fairgrounds in King City, getting a hands-on introduction to agriculture, public safety and local resources. The annual event, hosted...

SALINAS VALLEY — Monterey County Agricultural Commissioner Henry Gonzales has released the county’s 2019 Crop Report, which included an evaluation of cannabis production for the first time. “This report reflects a production value of $4,409,992,000, which is an increase of 3.5 percent from 2018,” Gonzales...

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...

SALINAS VALLEY — California Rangeland Trust has announced the conservation of the 9,400-acre Silacci Ranch in San Benito and Monterey counties. The project was completed by the Rangeland Trust with funding from the California Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB), the California Strategic Growth Council’s Sustainable Agricultural...

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...

KING CITY — The 81st annual Salinas Valley Fair brought thousands of fairgoers to King City’s Salinas Valley Fairgrounds from May 15 to 18, delivering on its promise of “The Berry Best Fair.” With a theme honoring the region’s rich agricultural heritage, this year’s...