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Salinas
January 31, 2026

Monterey County supervisors vote to lower cannabis tax rate

Monterey County Board of Supervisors voted May 22 in favor of lowering a tax rate on cannabis industries in the area.

Farmworker Housing Study Oversight Committee convenes to review progress

Farmworker Housing Study Oversight Committee
CENTRAL COAST — Despite significant progress since the release of a landmark 2018 farmworker housing study quantifying critically overcrowded housing conditions for agricultural workers in the region, thousands more homes are needed to relieve severe overcrowding, unaffordable rents and ensure the stability of the...

Greenfield High receives Farm to School grant

GREENFIELD — South Monterey County Joint Union High School District (SMCJUHSD) will launch two farm-to-cafeteria educational programs between Greenfield High School and the district’s Food Services Department. The first-of-its-kind collaboration was made possible by a new grant from the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s...

Senior researcher joins Farm Fuel

Dr. Joji Muramoto recently joined Farm Fuel part-time as senior researcher/consultant to conduct research improving the efficiency of mustard seed meal and ASD applications and products.

Monterey County agriculture pumps more than $11B into local economy, study finds

Agricultural workers harvest greens
MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County agriculture pumped more than $11 billion into the local economy in 2023 and supported 81,315 jobs, according to a new economic report. Assistant Agricultural Commissioner Rich Ordonez released the latest comprehensive analysis of the county’s largest industry on Nov. 18,...

Monterey County introduces new food inspection app for phones

The Monterey County Health Department Environmental Health Bureau has announced the release of a new phone application ā€œMC Food Inspection Findingsā€ available for public use. The new app assists the public in making informed decisions when seeking restaurants and food facilities that meet or exceed food safety standards.

Artichoke Festival closes its doors after 65 years

CASTROVILLE — The beloved Artichoke Festival, a cherished tradition in Monterey County for more than six decades, will not return this year. The festival’s board of directors announced its official closure after 65 years of celebrating the region’s rich agricultural heritage, artichoke royalty and community...

Monterey County’s Covid-19 infection rates highest in agriculture

SALINAS VALLEY — Monterey County Health Department reports that 475 agriculture workers, or 36.79 percent of the county’s total confirmed cases, have been infected with Covid-19 as of June 22. A large gap separates that figure and the 261 ā€œunknown or under investigationā€ category, and...

Supreme Court rules against union recruiting on California farms

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that a California regulation allowing union organizers to recruit agricultural workers at their workplaces violated the constitutional rights of their employers. The vote was 6-3, with the court’s three liberal members in dissent. Chief Justice John Roberts, writing...

2016 crop statistics released for SLO County

The San Luis Obispo County Department of Agriculture/Weights and Measures has announced the release of the 2016 production statistics for the local agricultural industry. The total gross crop value for 2016 was $914,724,000.

Local News

Salinas Valley State Prison

CDCR officials investigating Salinas ValleyĀ State Prison inmate’s Jan. 29 death as...

SOLEDAD ā€” California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) officials are investigating the Jan. 29 death of an inmate at Salinas Valley State Prison (SVSP) in Soledad as a homicide. At about...