Focus on Agriculture

The agricultural stretch of California’s Central Coast along the Salinas Valley is often called the “Salad Bowl of the World,” and for good reason. It supplies over 60% of the nation’s lettuce and substantial portions of strawberries, spinach and broccoli. But beyond the fertile...

SALINAS VALLEY — This year’s South County Farm Day brought about 650 third- and fourth-graders to the Salinas Valley Fairgrounds in King City on Jan. 27. The South Monterey County students, stemming from Gonzales to King City schools, attended the free educational enrichment program taught...

SOLEDAD — Salinas Valley native and photographer Joe Ramos currently has an exhibition of his photographs at the Triton Museum of Art in Santa Clara. Ramos grew up in Soledad in a Filipino and Mexican farmworker family, living mostly in farm labor camps, and graduated...

MONTEREY COUNTY — Warm atmospheric river storms wreaked havoc on California last week, causing widespread flooding from rain and snowmelt, which overfilled rivers and creeks, displaced residents, washed out roads and damaged agriculture. In Monterey County, there was significant flooding along the Salinas River and...

MONTEREY COUNTY — The nation’s oldest farmworker union announced Tuesday that it has canceled all events celebrating labor organizer César Chávez after allegations surfaced that he sexually assaulted several women and girls. “As a women-led organization that exists to empower communities, the allegations about abusive...

On March 29, the members of Watsonville Rotary and guests gathered at the Watsonville Elks Lodge for the first in a series of special monthly meetings.

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...

GREENFIELD — Lavender Creek, a lavender farm and wellness brand, has teamed up with Scheid Vineyards to offer lavender gifts at the winery’s award-winning tasting rooms, including in Greenfield. The co-founders, Ryan and Myriah Hopkins, launched a catalog of soothing lavender bath and beauty products...

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...