Focus on Agriculture

KING CITY — Roughly 1,400 third graders from South Monterey County schools attended the 2024 South County Farm Day last Thursday to learn about agriculture and experience animals firsthand.  The annual enrichment program, sponsored by Monterey County Agricultural Education, gives an opportunity for youth to...

SALINAS VALLEY — Hartnell College Foundation will honor longtime Salinas Valley grower John Romans with its 2022 Leadership Award at the Party Near the Library this Saturday, May 21. Romans, a member of the foundation’s board of directors, was a longtime owner of King City-based...

KING CITY — A new mural is in the works on the side of Pete’s Towing, with artwork that pays tribute to Salinas Valley ranching and the Salinas Valley Fair. The project is being spearheaded by King City in Bloom, with art direction by Jennifer...

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...

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...

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...

KING CITY — Cristina Balestreri, who grew up in the Salinas Valley, has been named the 2023 Miss King City Stampede. Balestreri, daughter of Monterey County natives Mario and Josephine Balestreri, received the title, sash and crown during the third annual King City Stampede, a...

SALINAS VALLEY — This Earth Month, Scheid Family Wines celebrates nearly seven years of being 100% powered by renewable wind energy. The Greenfield family-owned and operated wine company, which has embraced sustainability as a core tenet since its inception in 1972, is the only winery...

SALINAS VALLEY — October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an annual campaign to raise awareness about the impact of breast cancer. In support of this yearly event, the Breast Cancer Assistance Group of Monterey County (BCAG) will be the recipient of funds raised through...