Focus on Agriculture

KING CITY — Applications are currently being accepted for the prestigious title of Miss Salinas Valley Fair, which is open to any junior or senior high school girl who is a resident or student of school districts in the counties of Monterey, San Benito,...

SALINAS VALLEY — Salinas Valley Fair 2021 took place with an altered format due to Covid-19 pandemic health guidelines, but it was the first time since 2019 that fair-goers were able to show animals or pick up carnival food in person. This year’s animal judging...

CALIFORNIA — As wildfire conditions across California are expected to increase steadily through the summer, state officials last month expressed concerns about cuts in staff and funding at federal agencies, including the U.S. Forest Service, a division within the Agriculture Department that partners with...

KING CITY — Lauren Peterson, an agricultural teacher at King City High School, has been recognized as a finalist for the 2022-23 Ag Educator of the Year honor through Nationwide’s Golden Owl Award. California FFA, California Farm Bureau and Nationwide made the announcement on Feb....

MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County agriculture pumped more than $11 billion into the local economy in 2023 and supported 81,315 jobs, according to a new economic report. Assistant Agricultural Commissioner Rich Ordonez released the latest comprehensive analysis of the county’s largest industry on Nov. 18,...

Salinas Valley was initially spared the worst of the damage as storms battered California last month. But then the Salinas River overflowed its banks Jan. 10, breaching berms and levees. Over the ensuing hours and days, thousands of acres of some of the country’s most...

CALIFORNIA — Grappling with higher costs and challenges related to water, labor, regulations and trade, some California farm leaders question whether the nation’s No. 1 agriculture state has reached a tipping point. California Farm Bureau President Shannon Douglass discussed the high cost of operating a...

Nicolaus “Nicky” Hahn, founder of Hahn Family Wines and pioneer of California’s Santa Lucia Highlands AVA, died last Friday at his home in Zurich, Switzerland. He was 81 years old.

SALINAS VALLEY — Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association (ALBA) is spotlighting its transformative Programa Educativo para Agricultores (PEPA), a comprehensive training program empowering farmworkers to transition into successful organic farmers. This program is reshaping agriculture in the Salinas Valley, offering Latino farmworkers the tools and...

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...