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Salinas
February 23, 2026

Hartnell College awarded $9.5M grant to support students in agricultural careers

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. ā€œThis...

Lavender Creek towels approved by Infection Control in multiple leading health systems

GREENFIELD — Lavender Creek Co., a family lavender farm and wellness brand based in Monterey County near Greenfield, recently announced that its Lavender Refreshment Towels have received approval from the Infection Control departments of multiple leading healthcare organizations in California. This approval confirms the towels’...

Monterey County looks to eliminate prior cultivation requirement for outdoor cannabis growers

Cannabis marijuana
MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County Board of Supervisors narrowly voted Jan. 9 to make changes to its outdoor cannabis cultivation pilot program, allowing growers to double their canopy size and eliminate a requirement that made permit applicants prove cannabis was cultivated on the property...

District 4 Dairy Princess and alternates crowned

CENTRAL COAST — Ellie Dyt knows a lot more about the California dairy industry than most 17-year-old high schoolers. Dyt was raised on a dairy farm her whole life in the small town of Crows Landing, home to thousands of dairy cows, gaining first-hand experience...

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...

Retiree reflects on half-century of agricultural work in Salinas Valley

SALINAS VALLEY — Jesse Holguin retired from Gonzales Irrigation Systems on Dec. 31, wrapping up a career of 40 years with the company and more than 50 years in total with agricultural work. Holguin began working for Mel Fowler of King City 51 years ago,...

Jordan Davis crowned 2025 Miss Salinas Valley Fair

Miss Salinas Valley Fair King City
SALINAS VALLEY — Jordan Davis, a 16-year-old junior at King City High School, has been named the 2025 Miss Salinas Valley Fair. The competition, held March 13-14 at the Salinas Valley Fairgrounds, saw Davis compete against fellow King City teen Aaliyah Sarina in categories including...

Women in agtech: Martha Montoya

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. Martha Montoya never imagined that her...

Hartnell hosts conferenceĀ on ā€˜Culture of Food Safety’

SALINAS VALLEY — Nearly 400 people with a professional stake in the safety of fresh fruits and vegetables consumed worldwide gathered at Hartnell College on May 4-5 for the 17th Annual Western Food Safety Conference. The conference, held on Hartnell’s Main Campus in Salinas as...

Research suggests fresh grapes are a superfood

Grapes
CALIFORNIA — A new article appearing in the current issue of the peer-reviewed Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry explores the concept of ā€œsuperfoodsā€ and makes a case that fresh grapes have earned what should be a prominent position in the superfood family. The author,...

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Miss Salinas Valley Fair

Miss Salinas Valley Fair competition opens for 2026 applicants

SALINAS VALLEY — Salinas Valley Fair is now accepting applications for the 2026 Miss Salinas Valley Fair Competition, offering young women the chance to...