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...
Strawberries top $1B as Monterey County releases 2024 Crop Report
MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County’s agriculture industry saw a major rebound in 2024, with overall crop and livestock production reaching nearly $5 billion in gross value — a 14.7% increase from the previous year.
And, for the first time in county history, a single crop...
Gonzales FFA student earns champion honors
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,...
Soledad winery hiking series returns Sunday
SOLEDAD — CRU Winery is partnering with Valley Farm Management and the Blue Zones Project Monterey County to bring back their spring and summer hiking series.
Hosted monthly, participants will hike through the stunning and sustainably farmed Paraiso Vineyard before ending with a wine tasting...
Grant helps agricultural workers succeed at Hartnell
SALINAS VALLEY — Hartnell College announced it has received a multi-year grant of $260,000 from Bank of America that will strengthen its ability to help Salinas Valley agricultural workers succeed and advance in an industry increasingly shaped by technology and automation.
The grant will support...
Dangerous herbicide used on California crops banned
SALINAS VALLEY — A dangerous herbicide banned immediately by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has been sprayed on crops in many California counties and has contaminated groundwater in low concentrations in the Salinas Valley and Santa Barbara County.
The weed-killing chemical, known as DCPA or...
Monterey County’s 2022 Crop Report reveals strength in lettuce industry, weakness in cannabis production
MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County’s crop production increased in value last year by more than $500 million despite decreases in both wine grapes and cannabis, according to the county’s 2022 Crop and Livestock Report.
Overall gross crop and livestock production was over $4.6 billion in...
California State Fair announces Agriculturalist of the Year
The California State Fair has announced the recipients of the prestigious 2017 agriculture awards, which will be presented at the annual Friends of the California State Fair Gala.
Poison detection in wild pigs brings attention to pesticide exposure in hunter-harvested wildlife
MONTEREY COUNTY — Wild pigs in the Monterey County area were exposed to pesticide bait containing the anticoagulant rodenticide diphacinone, according to findings by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (CDFW) Wildlife Health Lab (WHL) and the California Animal Health and Food Safety...
Women in agtech: Jackie Vazquez
Editor’s Note: The following profile is an excerpt from Amy Wu’s upcoming 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.
Jackie Vazquez spends the majority of...
Local News
Soledad, Greenfield commemorate 24th anniversary of 9/11 with special events
SALINAS VALLEY — City of Soledad, along with local police and fire personnel, hosted a ceremony Thursday morning at Bill Ramus Park to commemorate...