Focus on Agriculture

SALINAS — Hartnell College has been awarded a $9.5 million grant from the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s inaugural NEXTGEN program.  The official announcement was made during a presentation by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack in Washington, D.C., on June 20. “This...

SALINAS VALLEY — A panel of experts discussed current challenges in agriculture, such as the future of the workforce and the role of education, during the eighth annual Salinas Valley Ag Tech Summit. The two-day session spanned more than eight and a half hours of...

Nearly 250 guests recently took a journey back in time to tour the properties owned by Salinas Land Co. and California Orchard Co. — located between King City and Greenfield — in celebration of the two companies’ 100th anniversary and their profound impact on agriculture in the Salinas Valley.

SALINAS — Regular crowds of at least 3,000 have attended the weekly Salinas Farmers Market since its move to Main Street earlier this year. The Saturday market has become a small community event, drawing hundreds of people within the first few minutes of the opening...

SOLEDAD — Braga Fresh is a sponsor of the 2023 Organic Produce Summit in Monterey, where the Soledad company will debut five SKUs under the Josie’s Organics brand in booth #607 at the summit exhibition Thursday. “This year our intention for the Organic Product Summit...

SALINAS VALLEY — 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 “Back in the Saddle.”  While total attendance numbers weren’t available yet, the four days...

MONTEREY COUNTY — The 2022 Monterey County Fair Junior Livestock Auction is being dedicated to Taylor Farms, the Salinas-based grower and packager of fresh produce that has supported the Fair’s 4-H and FFA exhibitors for more than 20 years by purchasing animals at the...

GONZALES — Luis Gonzalez won multiple banners in this year’s Monterey County Fair, including Reserve Supreme Champion Market Goat for his goat named Roberto. Gonzalez, an incoming freshman member of the Gonzales High School Future Farmers of America (FFA), raised two animals for the fair,...

GREENFIELD — Aspire Health, in close collaboration with Blue Zones Project Monterey County, has announced the expansion of the Double Up Food Bucks (DUFB) program to South Monterey County. Launched in November 2023 at the La Princesa Markets on Williams Road and East Alisal Street...