Focus on Agriculture

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,...

MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County agriculture’s gross production value bounced back by 4.8% in 2021 to just over $4.1 billion, despite the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic that also resulted in supply chain shortages. This increase represents a $190 million rise from 2020, when the gross production...

SALINAS VALLEY — A campus redevelopment project is underway in Salinas, which is aimed at improving agricultural technology in the Salinas Valley and advancing the nature of agriculture work. The Growers Ice Co. lot, located at the corner of Merrill and Abbott streets, was originally...

Cesar Mendoza had been a participant in Food, What?!, an organization that brings the youth of Santa Cruz County into the world of farming, food production and cooking.

SALINAS VALLEY — Scheid Family Wines has successfully obtained the Bee Friendly Farming Certification for its estate White Flower Vineyard, a prestigious designation that underscores the Greenfield winery’s commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship. This certification, awarded by Pollinator Partnership, recognizes Scheid’s efforts to promote...

MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine Pacioni announced Jan. 28 that her Cannabis Enforcement Unit has resolved a case against Faith & Family Farms LLC, a licensed cannabis cultivator located at 22730 Fuji Lane, south of Salinas in unincorporated Monterey County. The case...

CALIFORNIA — Before state officials announced that 40% of California's new vaccine doses would go to low-income communities, leaders were struggling to make good on promises to prioritize vulnerable Californians in the vaccine rollout. As my colleague Miriam Jordan recently wrote, farmworkers were among those...

After more than four years of devastating drought, 2017 saw California receive the wettest winter in more than 100 years.

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...

KING CITY — King City Rural 4-H recently collaborated with King City High School FFA to offer an industrial arts project for its members for the first time. This rare collaboration included help from KCHS ag teacher Blaise Chaney, who opened up the school’s state-of-the-art...