Braga Fresh’s Pereira selected as Ag Woman of the Year
SOLEDAD — Colby Pereira, chief operating officer of Braga Fresh in Soledad, has received the Grower-Shipper Foundation’s 2024 Agricultural Woman of the Year award.
The award honors unique leadership qualities held by women working within the agricultural industry in Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito...
Gonzales High junior raises Heritage hog for 2025 Salinas Valley Fair
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 “Zero,” and...
Women in agtech: Fatma Kaplan
Editor’s Note: The following profile is an excerpt from Amy Wu’s book, “From Farms to Incubators: Women Innovators Revolutionizing How Our Food is Grown,” which tells the stories of women entrepreneurs who are transforming agriculture through high technology.
Fatma Kaplan’s advice to her younger self...
Weed control effort seeks to curb virus threat for Salinas Valley’s 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...
Lavender Creek expands wellness experience into community workshop series
GREENFIELD — Lavender Creek, a family-run lavender farm and growing wellness brand near Greenfield in South Monterey County, has transformed its first Lavender Wellness Experience at the farm into a growing series of community workshops that bring calm and comfort directly to seniors and...
Lavender Creek partners with Scheid Vineyards in Greenfield
GREENFIELD — Lavender Creek, a lavender farm and wellness brand, has teamed up with Scheid Vineyards to offer lavender gifts at the winery’s award-winning tasting rooms, including in Greenfield.
The co-founders, Ryan and Myriah Hopkins, launched a catalog of soothing lavender bath and beauty products...
Grant supports FARMS Leadership Program at Gonzales High School
GONZALES — The Center for Land-Based Learning’s Monterey/Santa Cruz FARMS Leadership Program was awarded a $5,000 grant by the Bayer Fund to support field days for the upcoming 2020-21 program year.
Participating schools include Gonzales High School and Soquel High School, and funds will go...
Carli Hammond crowned Miss Salinas Valley Fair 2022
SALINAS VALLEY — Monterey County Home Charter School senior Carli Hammond was crowned 2022 Miss Salinas Valley Fair after competing against one other girl in such areas as personality, scholastic ability, poise and horsemanship.
The annual contest took place at the Salinas Valley Fairgrounds in...
South Monterey County’s first marijuana dispensary opens
GREENFIELD — South Monterey County’s first marijuana dispensary has opened for business in Greenfield, selling recreational cannabis products in the area.
Higher Level, a locally owned cannabis retailer with operations in Seaside and Hollister, opened its third location in Greenfield earlier this month. A grand...
Monterey County examines impacts of Covid-19 on local agriculture industry
SALINAS VALLEY — The results of a survey intended to better understand how Covid-19 has impacted Monterey County agriculture was released May 4 by Agricultural Commissioner Henry Gonzales.
Survey results showed a total of 2,093 acres lost or not planted.
“The survey is a preliminary look...
Local News
Garage fire contained in Greenfield; no injuries reported
GREENFIELD — A structure fire early Friday morning was contained to a garage thanks to a rapid, multi-agency response, according to the Greenfield Police...
