Raley’s, FirstFruits Farms deliver 30,000 pounds of apples to Food Bank for Monterey Country
MONTEREY COUNTY — Raley’s and Washington-based FirstFruits Farms donated 30,000 pounds of fresh apples on April 1 to the Food Bank for Monterey County.
The contribution was made possible by Raley’s customers who purchased select apples during January and February as part of a give-back...
Beltran named 2025 Salinas Valley Fair Heritage Foundation Scholarship winner
KING CITY — Salinas Valley Fair Heritage Foundation has announced Valeria Beltran, a junior at Gonzales High School, as the recipient of the 2025 Heritage Foundation Scholarship.
As this year’s winner, Beltran will raise the official Heritage Animal, a hog she has named “Zero,” and...
Monterey County Board of Supervisors to mark 50th anniversary of ‘El Cortito’ ban
SALINAS VALLEY — Monterey County Board of Supervisors will host a special ceremony on Tuesday, June 10, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of a landmark legal case that arose out of the Salinas Valley and outlawed the use of “El Cortito,” or the short-handled...
Artichoke Festival closes its doors after 65 years
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...
Agriculture is at a critical juncture, farm leaders warn
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...
Research suggests fresh grapes are a superfood
CALIFORNIA — A new article appearing in the current issue of the peer-reviewed Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry explores the concept of “superfoods” and makes a case that fresh grapes have earned what should be a prominent position in the superfood family.
The author,...
ALBA celebrates National Fruits and Vegetables Month by cultivating new farmers and fresh food in Salinas Valley
SALINAS VALLEY — As the country celebrates National Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Month this June, the Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association (ALBA) is spotlighting the farmers behind the produce — and the power of farming to change lives.
Located in the heart of the Salinas...
Guest Column | Protecting Migrant Education Is a Moral Imperative for America’s Farmworker Children
At the heart of California’s $59 billion agricultural industry are the hardworking migrant farmworkers who harvest the food that feeds our nation. Their labor sustains our economy, but their children, who face extraordinary educational barriers due to the migratory nature of their parents’ work,...
Salinas Valley Groundwater Agency seeks applicants for Advisory Committee to guide sustainable water management
SALINAS VALLEY — Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency (SVBGSA) is now accepting applications for its Advisory Committee, a crucial body responsible for guiding groundwater management strategies in the region.
The committee provides valuable input and consensus-based recommendations to the SVBGSA Board of Directors, playing...
ALBA program empowers Salinas Valley farmworkers to become leaders in sustainable agriculture
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...
