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...
Hartnell hosts conference on ‘Culture of Food Safety’
SALINAS VALLEY — Nearly 400 people with a professional stake in the safety of fresh fruits and vegetables consumed worldwide gathered at Hartnell College on May 4-5 for the 17th Annual Western Food Safety Conference.
The conference, held on Hartnell’s Main Campus in Salinas as...
King City mural dedication ceremony reflects on agriculture’s impact
KING CITY — King City in Bloom hosted a dedication ceremony on June 24 for the recently completed mural, “A Tribute to Cattle Ranching and the Salinas Valley Fair,” which is the organization’s third historic mural in the town.
Project co-chair Steve Schmidt spoke...
Women in agtech: Martha Montoya
Editor’s Note: The following profile is an excerpt from Amy Wu’s upcoming book, “From Farms to Incubators: Women Innovators Revolutionizing How Our Food is Grown,” which tells the stories of women entrepreneurs who are transforming agriculture through high technology.
Martha Montoya never imagined that her...
New mural honors Salinas Valley Fairgrounds and ranchers
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...
Strawberries top $1B as Monterey County releases 2024 Crop Report
MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County’s agriculture industry saw a major rebound in 2024, with overall crop and livestock production reaching nearly $5 billion in gross value — a 14.7% increase from the previous year.
And, for the first time in county history, a single crop...
Monterey County supervisors vote to lower cannabis tax rate
Monterey County Board of Supervisors voted May 22 in favor of lowering a tax rate on cannabis industries in the area.
Valley awards honor King City High School Agriculture Department and FFA
KING CITY — King City High School Agriculture Department and FFA were recognized with the 2022 Education Award last Saturday at the 16th Annual Valley of the World Awards, presented by the National Steinbeck Center.
The school is home to a state-ranking ag program,...
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...
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...
















