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Salinas
April 12, 2026

Western Growers earns second $30K AgTech Innovation Grant

In a joint effort to accelerate the development of agricultural technologies, Wells Fargo has awarded Western Growers a $30,000 grant for the second year in a row.

Guest Column | A Fuller Picture of Farm Labor: Employer-Led Stability, Affordability and the Importance of Partnership

Christopher Valadez
The harvest is quickly moving toward peak season, with fields of vegetables, leafy greens and strawberries becoming a hub of activity. Those who nurture, irrigate and harvest these crops are essential to the industry’s success, and it is the responsibility of every farmer and...

Taylor Farms plans to rebuild Salinas facility after 4-alarm fire

SALINAS — Multiple agencies from across Monterey County responded to a four-alarm fire that severely damaged Taylor Farms’ food production facility in Salinas last Wednesday. The 225,000-square-foot building, located in the 1200 block of Abbott Street, had been closed for the winter but was in...

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...

Salinas Valley Ag Tech Summit promotes importance of workforce education

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...

New lavender farm and wellness brand opens in Greenfield

GREENFIELD — Lavender Creek Co., a lavender farm and wellness brand that enhances everyday life with lavender’s healthful properties, has launched its first products on Amazon and has more than 4,000 young lavender plants blooming on Carmel Valley Road in the Arroyo Seco area...

Regional drone program lands $1M grant

SALINAS VALLEY — University of California Santa Cruz’s CITRIS Initiative for Drone Education and Research (CIDER) along with several partners has received a $1 million, 15-month planning grant to support regional drone education and workforce development from the James Irvine Foundation. The funds will be...

Women in agtech: Claudia Pizarro-Villalobos

Editor’s Note: The following profile is an excerpt from Amy Wu’s upcoming 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. Claudia Pizarro-Villalobos was born and raised...

ā€˜Berry’ Bliss: Thousands flock to 2025 Salinas Valley Fair for food, fun, music and tradition

Salinas Valley Fair
SALINAS VALLEY — The 81st annual Salinas Valley Fair brought thousands of fairgoers to King City’s Salinas Valley Fairgrounds from May 15 to 18, delivering on its promise of ā€œThe Berry Best Fair.ā€ With a theme honoring the region’s rich agricultural heritage, this year’s...

Newsom signs bill to protect farmworkers from wildfire smoke

SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed Assembly Bill 73, Assemblymember Robert Rivas’ Farmworker Wildfire Smoke Protections Act, into law on Sept. 27. California’s wildfire season, combined with heat waves and the Covid-19 pandemic, has helped shine a light on the necessary safety protocols agricultural...

Local News

Sykes Hot Springs

Monterey County Sheriff’s Office investigating suspicious death in Ventana Wilderness

MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a suspicious death in the Sykes Hot Springs area of the Ventana Wilderness in the...