60.9 F
Salinas
January 15, 2026

Federal forestry cuts fuel wildfire, resource concerns in California

Redwood giants
CALIFORNIA — 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...

CRU Winery in Soledad makes history as a Blue Zones Project participant

SOLEDAD — CRU Winery’s tasting room has been designated a Blue Zones Project Participating Organization — the first of its kind to join the health initiative in Monterey County. The acknowledgment recognizes CRU Winery for actively implementing lifestyle changes and environmental modifications to promote longevity...

High-tech upgrade in the works for Salinas Valley cooling facility

SALINAS VALLEY — A campus redevelopment project is underway in Salinas, which is aimed at improving agricultural technology in the Salinas Valley and advancing the nature of agriculture work. The Growers Ice Co. lot, located at the corner of Merrill and Abbott streets, was originally...

Women in agtech: Ellie Symes

Editor’s Note: The following profile is an excerpt from Amy Wu’s book, ā€œFrom 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. Ellie Symes could easily pass for the...

Farmworker receives $17K settlement from Salinas companies over retaliation claims related to working conditions

Law judge court
SALINAS — Fanciful Company Inc. and D’Arrigo Bros Co. of California, located in Salinas, have paid $17,000 in lost wages to a farmworker to resolve a California Agricultural Labor Relations Board (ALRB) unfair labor practices complaint. The complaint alleged ā€œthat the companies fired the worker...

Wine grape harvest begins gradually

Monterey County Vintners and Growers Association (MCVGA) has announced the beginning of the 2018 wine grape harvest in Monterey Wine Country.

CRU Winery celebrates 20th anniversary at Soledad, Madera tasting rooms

SOLEDAD — CRU Winery will be celebrating its 20th anniversary with special tastings, wine dinners and a commemorative 20th anniversary bottling. Wine lovers can take part in CRU Winery’s 20th anniversary tastings at its Santa Lucia Highlands (Soledad)Ā and Central Valley (Madera) tasting rooms Sept. 9-10....

Winter storms cause $600M in Monterey County ag losses

MONTEREY COUNTY — This year’s onslaught of winter storms have cumulatively impacted a total of 20,073 acres and created $600 million of damage to the Monterey County agricultural industry.  On Friday, the County of Monterey Agricultural Commissioner’s Office released the results of a second survey...

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...

Clash between union campaigns and private property at Supreme Court

WASHINGTON — Before dawn on an October morning in 2015, representatives of the United Farm Workers turned up at a strawberry plant nursery in Northern California to meet with workers and urge them to consider unionizing. They were able to enter the nursery’s property thanks...

Local News

Community Arts Grants recipients

Arts Council for Monterey County announces latest Community Arts Grant recipients

MONTEREY COUNTY — Arts Council for Monterey County (Arts4MC) has announced the awardees of its Fall 2025 Community Arts Grants, allocating $130,000 to 25...