Focus on Agriculture

MONTEREY COUNTY — Crop values fell in 2020 by a total of $499 million from 2019, with 2020’s total at $3.9 billion, according to the Monterey County Crop Report issued by Monterey County Agricultural Commissioner Henry Gonzales on July 20. The 11.3% decrease in production...

Agricultural Commissioner Henry Gonzales has announced that the economic value of Monterey County agriculture increased by 4 percent in 2017, as compared with 2016, with crop production values of $4.4 billion.

BRADLEY — Bradley Elementary School is building its first-ever community garden, utilizing donations from community partners like Chevron and mentorship from staff and students at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly). The garden will be used for educational learning, with students having the opportunity to...

COACHELLA, Calif. — The sun-baked desert valley tucked behind the San Jacinto Mountains is best known for an annual music festival that draws 100,000 fans a day and a series of lush, oasis resort towns where well-heeled snowbirds go to golf, sunbathe and party....

SALINAS VALLEY — California Department of Water Resources has awarded more than $10 million in funding to the Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency (SVBGSA) through the Sustainable Groundwater Management (SGM) Grant Program to support implementation of SVBGSA’s state-mandated groundwater sustainability plans in four...

SALINAS VALLEY — A panel of experts discussed current challenges in agriculture, such as the future of the workforce and the role of education, during the eighth annual Salinas Valley Ag Tech Summit. The two-day session spanned more than eight and a half hours of...

MONTEREY COUNTY — Elkhorn Slough Foundation (ESF) is currently producing beneficial biochar from invasive eucalyptus trees removed to restore native ecosystems around Elkhorn Slough. In partnership with ESF, soil scientist Arun Jani of California State University Monterey Bay (CSUMB) is now studying the impacts of...

KING CITY — A rare and beautifully restored steam-powered tractor has found its new home at the Monterey County Agricultural and Rural Life Museum (MCARLM), thanks to the generosity of Jenny Edson Sterling and the dedicated efforts of the museum’s board to preserve Monterey County’s agricultural...

In celebration of National Salad Month and in recognition of the great agriculture bounty of the Central Coast, the California Welcome Center Salinas and the Soledad Visitors and Gateway Center will be giving out free samples of fruits and vegetables.

MONTEREY COUNTY — Community Foundation for Monterey County (CFMC) Board of Directors presented the Distinguished Trustee Award to Tonya Antle during the annual Celebration of Philanthropy on Oct. 1 at The Club at Pasadera. Antle was recognized for the passion and commitment she brings to everything...