46.8 F
King City
March 6, 2026

18 farmworkers treated for possible pesticide exposure

The Monterey County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office is investigating an incident of possible exposure of farmworkers to pesticides.

Mushroom compost supports Salinas Valley farmers

Mushroom compost
SALINAS VALLEY — Monterey Mushrooms, a mushroom grower based in Morgan Hill, has announced the release of its Certified Organic Spent Mushroom Compost (COSMC) to row crop and leafy green farmers throughout the Salinas Valley. A finely balanced mixture of straw, peat moss, cottonseed meal,...

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 ā€œZero,ā€ and...

From Gold Rush to global leader: New book explores California’s agricultural history

California Agriculture
CALIFORNIA — Arcadia Publishing has announced the publication of ā€œCalifornia Agriculture,ā€ a new history of the state’s agriculture industry by author Patti DesMarais. The 128-page paperback is part of Arcadia’s ā€œImages of Americaā€ book series, featuring historical information and photographs. Beginning with the Spanish padres in...

From dry to drenched — How local farmers deal with drastically changing conditions

After more than four years of devastating drought, 2017 saw California receive the wettest winter in more than 100 years.

Weed control effort seeks to curb virus threat for Salinas Valley’s lettuce

Salinas Valley lettuce
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...

Lofgren visits Salinas Valley, receives nod from Panetta and Rivas

Zoe Lofgren salinas
SALINAS — As the decennial redistricting process wrapped up last month, the concern from The World’s Salad Bowl started to mount. Local politicians, regional business giants and other community leaders asked how a plan to pair the international agricultural hub with the Silicon Valley...

How the drought is affecting California’s crops

In recent weeks, dangerous heat has killed hundreds of people in Oregon and Washington, endangered workers across the region and strained California’s power grid. It has also exacerbated the slow-moving natural disaster already punishing the West: the drought. Late last week, Gov. Gavin Newsom formally urged...

Who will fulfill the vision of Cesar Chavez?

More than three decades ago, Cesar Chavez, founder of the first successful union for farmworkers, predicted a future in which the cities of California would be run by people who looked like him. ā€œHistory and inevitability are on our side,ā€ he said in one of his best-known...

Salinas Valley Fair once again brings thrills to King City

KING CITY — The 78th annual Salinas Valley Fair returned after two years of Covid-19 pandemic closures with crowds packing the fairgrounds in King City, living up to the theme of ā€œBack in the Saddle.ā€  While total attendance numbers weren’t available yet, the four days...