Federal forestry cuts fuel wildfire, resource concerns in California
CALIFORNIA ā As wildfire conditions across California are expected to increase steadily through the summer, state officials last month expressed concerns about cuts in staff and funding at federal agencies, including the U.S. Forest Service, a division within the Agriculture Department that partners with...
UPDATE: Full SNAP/CalFresh benefits to be issued beginning Friday in Monterey County
UPDATE ā 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.
āThe California Department of Social Services (CDSS) is telling us that California has initiated...
Weed control effort seeks to curb virus threat for Salinas Valleyās lettuce
SALINAS VALLEY ā 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 regionās lettuce crop in recent years.
Officials are urging residents who notice...
Smith Family Wines discontinues wine production
After 30 years of making its own wine, Smith Family Wines will discontinue producing the Paraiso, Irie and Alexander-Smith labels and close the tasting room at the Paraiso Vineyards on Paraiso Springs Road in Soledad.
Newsom signs bill to protect farmworkers from wildfire smoke
SACRAMENTO ā Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed Assembly Bill 73, Assemblymember Robert Rivasā Farmworker Wildfire Smoke Protections Act, into law on Sept. 27.
Californiaās wildfire season, combined with heat waves and the Covid-19 pandemic, has helped shine a light on the necessary safety protocols agricultural...
Guest Column | How Farmworkers Outlawed āEl Cortitoā 50 Years Ago
For decades in the Salinas Valley, the short-handle hoe, known as āEl Cortito,ā was used for weeding and thinning rows of crops that kept farmworkers stooped over for long hours each day. Workers were only able to stand and stretch when they reached the...
Monterey Countyās 2022 Crop Report reveals strength in lettuce industry, weakness in cannabis production
MONTEREY COUNTY ā Monterey Countyās crop production increased in value last year by more than $500 million despite decreases in both wine grapes and cannabis, according to the countyās 2022 Crop and Livestock Report.
Overall gross crop and livestock production was over $4.6 billion in...
Scheid Vineyards hosts Earth Day tour at Greenfield estate
GREENFIELD ā Scheid Vineyards is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year and recently hosted an Earth Day tour at its estate winery ā just off Highway 101 between Greenfield and King City ā to discuss its growing efforts with environmental responsibility in mind.
During the...
South Monterey County cattle business evolves into growing beef producer
KING CITY ā Jeremiah Casey arrived in San Lucas, Calif., in 1861 as a young Irish immigrant. He started homesteading and ranching, raising beef, finishing them on grass and marketing them as best he could, given the limited resources at hand.Ā
Back then, ranchers didn't...
Guest Column | As Supplies Thin, Price of Recycled Water Could Go UpĀ
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...


















