Focus on Agriculture

As a former California State Assemblymember and Monterey County Supervisor, I am deeply concerned about the pressing issue of rising prescription drug prices and healthcare accessibility. Our state’s progress depends on the advancement and well-being of all its communities, especially those at risk. With...

SALINAS VALLEY — Assemblymember Robert Rivas (D-Salinas) kicked off his statewide agricultural tour last month alongside local leaders and the Grower-Shipper Association of Central California. This first leg of the tour, beginning in Rivas’ Assembly District 30 on the Central Coast, included a celebration of...

SALINAS VALLEY — Salinas Valley Ag Tech Summit returns March 18-19 for its eighth annual event, recognizing the increasingly international scope of the produce industry, with a number of presenters from Latin America and a diversity of experience and expertise from California. There is...

On March 29, the members of Watsonville Rotary and guests gathered at the Watsonville Elks Lodge for the first in a series of special monthly meetings.

UPDATE — Nov. 7, 2025: Full November SNAP/CalFresh benefits have begun posting to the EBT cards of Monterey County residents, according to the County of Monterey Department of Social Services on Friday. “The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) is telling us that California has initiated...

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...

MONTEREY COUNTY — California Gov. Gavin Newsom expanded his prior drought emergency proclamation to an additional nine counties on July 7, including Monterey County. Assemblymember Robert Rivas (D-Salinas), who oversees Monterey County in his district along with Santa Cruz and Santa Clara counties, urged residents...

As we all manage the implementation of our groundwater management sustainability plans in the next 15 years, there will be some hard choices that communities will need to make. Most of these will include financing various water supply solutions, such as resource projects, land...

Ranked 11th by last year’s U.S. food and wine festival calendar critics, the 2017 Paso Robles Wine Festival is scheduled for May 18-21.

National Agriculture Week 2026 will be observed March 15-21, with National Ag Day falling on March 24. The annual week highlights the vital role agriculture plays in the United States — providing food, jobs and economic stability — and encourages Americans to recognize the industry’s contributions...