Students join Supervisor Lopez for annual pumpkin distribution in South Monterey County
SAN ARDO ā Monterey County Supervisor Chris Lopez and his District 3 team marked the fifth consecutive year of distributing pumpkins to South Monterey County students, thanks to a generous donation from Braga Fresh Farms.
Lopez celebrated his birthday Oct. 14 by joining the team...
Salinas, Soledad celebrate National Salad Month
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.
Guest Column | Food Security is Critical to Economic and National Security on Californiaās Central Coast
The agricultural stretch of Californiaās Central Coast along the Salinas Valley is often called the āSalad Bowl of the World,ā and for good reason. It supplies over 60% of the nationās lettuce and substantial portions of strawberries, spinach and broccoli. But beyond the fertile...
Women in agtech: Fatma Kaplan
Editorās Note: The following profile is an excerpt from Amy Wuās book, āFrom Farms to Incubators: Women Innovators Revolutionizing How Our Food is Grown,ā which tells the stories of women entrepreneurs who are transforming agriculture through high technology.
Fatma Kaplanās advice to her younger self...
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...
Assemblymember Rivas kicks off statewide agricultural tour in Salinas Valley
SALINAS VALLEY ā 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 Rivasā Assembly District 30 on the Central Coast, included a celebration of...
āBerryā Bliss: Thousands flock to 2025 Salinas Valley Fair for food, fun, music and tradition
KING CITY ā The 81st annual Salinas Valley Fair brought thousands of fairgoers to King Cityās Salinas Valley Fairgrounds from May 15 to 18, delivering on its promise of āThe Berry Best Fair.ā With a theme honoring the regionās rich agricultural heritage, this yearās...
Rancho Cieloās Veggie Box fundraiser a big success
SALINAS VALLEY ā Rancho Cieloās annual Veggie Box and BBQ Fundraiser took place Aug. 8-11 on the Rancho Cielo Youth Campus in Salinas.
The fundraiser was the biggest success to date, with more than 14,000 boxes sold, 300 volunteers packing boxes and over 2,000 barbecued...
Monterey County crops decline in value after pandemic and fires
MONTEREY COUNTY ā Crop values fell in 2020 by a total of $499 million from 2019, with 2020ās 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...
From horses to Merrillās Thundering Herd: Rose Escobar shares love of rodeo and serving others
SALINAS VALLEY ā Ever since a young child, Rose Escobar dreamed of becoming a Rodeo Queen ā a best-in-class combination of horsemanship and athletic abilities paired with personal skills of public speaking and knowledge of the heritage of agriculture.
That dream came true this year...


















