Focus on Agriculture

KING CITY — Monterey County Home Charter School senior Carli Hammond was crowned 2022 Miss Salinas Valley Fair after competing against one other girl in such areas as personality, scholastic ability, poise and horsemanship. The annual contest took place at the Salinas Valley Fairgrounds in...

CALIFORNIA — A nationwide onion recall was expanded by the Food and Drug Administration on Aug. 10 to include red, yellow, white and sweet yellow onions linked to California suppliers after more than 600 people in 43 states have been sickened with salmonella. The original...

MONTEREY COUNTY — Over the past two weeks, multiple agricultural businesses in Monterey County have been targeted by a wave of burglaries, resulting in the theft of valuable equipment. The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office Ag Crimes Unit has been actively investigating these incidents, leading to...

CASTROVILLE — The beloved Artichoke Festival, a cherished tradition in Monterey County for more than six decades, will not return this year. The festival’s board of directors announced its official closure after 65 years of celebrating the region’s rich agricultural heritage, artichoke royalty and community...

SALINAS VALLEY — The results of a survey intended to better understand how Covid-19 has impacted Monterey County agriculture was released May 4 by Agricultural Commissioner Henry Gonzales. Survey results showed a total of 2,093 acres lost or not planted. “The survey is a preliminary look...

KING CITY — Salinas Valley Fair has announced that this year’s Fair theme is “Barnyard May-Ham,” suggested by James Hinkle of King City. Hinkle is a sophomore at Palma High School and president of King City Rural 4-H Club. The 16-year-old said he submitted the idea...

GREENFIELD — For the second time, thousands of freshly prepared meals were distributed to farmworker families suffering during the Covid-19 crisis on May 26 at Patriot Park in Greenfield. The food distribution is the latest effort by the United Farm Workers and World Central Kitchen...

KING CITY — The 2022 Monterey International Wine Competition wrapped up March 12 at the Salinas Valley Fairgrounds in King City. Eighteen judges representing all aspects of the wine industry swirled and sipped through 743 entries, resulting in the selection of 58 Platinum Award winners,...

KING CITY — A rare and beautifully restored steam-powered tractor has found its new home at the Monterey County Agricultural and Rural Life Museum (MCARLM), thanks to the generosity of Jenny Edson Sterling and the dedicated efforts of the museum’s board to preserve Monterey County’s agricultural...