Focus on Agriculture

KING CITY — Monterey County Cattlemen’s Association (MCCA) is bringing back its annual Team Roping and Ranch Rodeo for a full weekend of western tradition at the Salinas Valley Fairgrounds in King City. The event kicks off Friday, Aug. 22, with team roping, followed by a dinner and calcutta...

KING CITY — Salinas Valley Fairgrounds in King City were buzzing last month as the annual Fair Kick-Off event drew more than 600 guests and set an enthusiastic tone for the upcoming 81st Salinas Valley Fair, scheduled for May 15-18. Organized by the Salinas Valley...

SALINAS VALLEY — Jesse Holguin retired from Gonzales Irrigation Systems on Dec. 31, wrapping up a career of 40 years with the company and more than 50 years in total with agricultural work. Holguin began working for Mel Fowler of King City 51 years ago,...

SALINAS VALLEY — Monterey County has enacted a mandatory abatement program for select weeds as part of an effort to contain the impatiens necrotic spot virus, or INSV, which has severely impacted the region’s lettuce crop in recent years. Officials are urging residents who notice...

SALINAS VALLEY — A new exhibition at the National Steinbeck Center in Salinas highlights a diverse generation of women innovators and their contribution to agriculture by way of technology. “From Farms to Incubators: Women Innovators in California Agtech,” which premiered last month, uses multimedia to...

KING CITY — Jordan Davis, a 16-year-old junior at King City High School, has been named the 2025 Miss Salinas Valley Fair. The competition, held March 13-14 at the Salinas Valley Fairgrounds, saw Davis compete against fellow King City teen Aaliyah Sarina in categories including...

SALINAS VALLEY — Hartnell College and its partner, the Grower-Shipper Association of Central California, are reaching out to veterans and family members with an immediate opportunity for free courses in agricultural technology and paid on-the-job training at some of the largest Salinas Valley ag...

SALINAS VALLEY — Standing in his vineyard as a brisk wind runs amuck with his curly, sandy-blonde hair, Denis Hoey reveals why the Salinas Valley region — known for its vast agriculture — should also be noted for fine winemaking. “We make wines here that...

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...

SALINAS VALLEY — Monterey Mushrooms, a mushroom grower based in Morgan Hill, has announced the release of its Certified Organic Spent Mushroom Compost (COSMC) to row crop and leafy green farmers throughout the Salinas Valley. A finely balanced mixture of straw, peat moss, cottonseed meal,...