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...
Enrichment program teaches hundreds of South Monterey County youth about farming
KING CITY — Hundreds of third-graders recently roamed the Salinas Valley Fairgrounds in King City to learn about agriculture during the annual South County Farm Day.
Students from Gonzales, Soledad, Greenfield and King City schools attended the free educational enrichment program on Jan. 26,...
Listeria risk prompts Mann Packing to recall veggies
Mann Packing of Salinas is voluntarily recalling minimally processed vegetable products because they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.
Salinas Valley Fair returns with modified livestock show, entertainment
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...
South County farmer to receive national award in September
South County organic farmer Israel Morales Sr. of JV Farms Organic in Soledad will receive the Organic Farmer of the Year Award at the Organic Trade Association’s Leadership Awards set for Sept. 11 at the Belvedere Hotel in Baltimore, Md.
Youth ready for Salinas Valley Fair’s online livestock auction
SALINAS VALLEY — Salinas Valley Fair activities will begin this week with the virtual junior livestock auction set for Saturday, May 8.
Like last year, Covid-19 pandemic health guidelines have caused an online format and an earlier scheduling than the traditional mid-May fair dates.
Youth from...
Winter storms cause $600M in Monterey County ag losses
MONTEREY COUNTY — This year’s onslaught of winter storms have cumulatively impacted a total of 20,073 acres and created $600 million of damage to the Monterey County agricultural industry.
On Friday, the County of Monterey Agricultural Commissioner’s Office released the results of a second survey...
Farmworker Housing Study Oversight Committee convenes to review progress
CENTRAL COAST — Despite significant progress since the release of a landmark 2018 farmworker housing study quantifying critically overcrowded housing conditions for agricultural workers in the region, thousands more homes are needed to relieve severe overcrowding, unaffordable rents and ensure the stability of the...
Regional drone program lands $1M grant
SALINAS VALLEY — University of California Santa Cruz’s CITRIS Initiative for Drone Education and Research (CIDER) along with several partners has received a $1 million, 15-month planning grant to support regional drone education and workforce development from the James Irvine Foundation.
The funds will be...
Guest Column | Food Security is Critical to Economic and National Security on California’s Central Coast
The agricultural stretch of California’s Central Coast along the Salinas Valley is often called the “Salad Bowl of the World,” and for good reason. It supplies over 60% of the nation’s lettuce and substantial portions of strawberries, spinach and broccoli. But beyond the fertile...
