55.3 F
King City
January 21, 2026

South Monterey County’s first marijuana dispensary opens

GREENFIELD — South Monterey County’s first marijuana dispensary has opened for business in Greenfield, selling recreational cannabis products in the area. Higher Level, a locally owned cannabis retailer with operations in Seaside and Hollister, opened its third location in Greenfield earlier this month. A grand...

Farmers suffer losses as Salinas Valley fields flood

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.Ā Over the ensuing hours and days, thousands of acres of some of the country’s most...

Monterey County supervisors spare sputtering cannabis equity grant program

Cannabis marijuana
MONTEREY COUNTY — A Monterey County program to ensure equity in the local commercial cannabis market is sputtering but will continue on a smaller scale. The county Board of Supervisors voted unanimously March 19 to continue the Growing Equity Together program, known as GET, despite...

Salinas Valley Fair to host online livestock auction Saturday

KING CITY — Salinas Valley Fair will host a virtual livestock auction this Saturday, June 20. This year’s auction is a charitable auction, with no meat product exchanging hands. Proceeds will instead be directed to 4-H and FFA exhibitors who participate in the auction. Some...

From Gold Rush to global leader: New book explores California’s agricultural history

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

New well registration program aims to protect Salinas Valley groundwater

Water Salinas Valley
SALINAS VALLEY — Monterey County Water Resources Agency (MCWRA) and the Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency (SVBGSA)Ā 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...

Students join Supervisor Lopez for annual pumpkin distribution in South Monterey County

SAN ARDO — Monterey County Supervisor Chris Lopez and his District 3 team marked the fifth consecutive year of distributing pumpkins to South Monterey County students, thanks to a generous donation from Braga Fresh Farms.  Lopez celebrated his birthday Oct. 14 by joining the team...

Women in agtech: Claudia Pizarro-Villalobos

Editor’s Note: The following profile is an excerpt from Amy Wu’s upcoming book, ā€œFrom Farms to Incubators: Women Innovators Revolutionizing How Our Food is Grown,ā€ which tells the stories of women entrepreneurs who are transforming agriculture through high technology. Claudia Pizarro-Villalobos was born and raised...

Ag Commissioner’s Office hosts PPE distribution in King City

KING CITY — Dozens of vehicles lined up to receive supplies during a PPE distribution event on Feb. 3, hosted by the Monterey County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office in King City. More than 60 agricultural companies, including growers, pest control businesses and farm labor contractors,...

Full steam ahead: MCARLM welcomes historic tractors

Steam tractor MCARLM
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...