Thousands of respirator masks distributed to Salinas Valley agricultural workers
SALINAS VALLEY — Numerous area leaders recently came together to distribute thousands of N95 respirators to protect agricultural workers, as ongoing air quality problems due to smoke from nearby wildfires caused essential workers in the outdoors to be in danger.
Last week the Air Quality...
FDA recalls onions from California suppliers after salmonella outbreak
CALIFORNIA — A nationwide onion recall was expanded by the Food and Drug Administration on Aug. 10 to include red, yellow, white and sweet yellow onions linked to California suppliers after more than 600 people in 43 states have been sickened with salmonella.
The original...
Cannabis represents 10 percent of Monterey County crop production as fruits, nuts decline
SALINAS VALLEY — Monterey County Agricultural Commissioner Henry Gonzales has released the county’s 2019 Crop Report, which included an evaluation of cannabis production for the first time.
“This report reflects a production value of $4,409,992,000, which is an increase of 3.5 percent from 2018,” Gonzales...
Grant supports FARMS Leadership Program at Gonzales High School
GONZALES — The Center for Land-Based Learning’s Monterey/Santa Cruz FARMS Leadership Program was awarded a $5,000 grant by the Bayer Fund to support field days for the upcoming 2020-21 program year.
Participating schools include Gonzales High School and Soquel High School, and funds will go...
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 “unknown or under investigation” category, and...
Salinas Valley Fair to host online livestock auction Saturday
KING CITY — Salinas Valley Fair will host a virtual livestock auction this Saturday, June 20.
This year’s auction is a charitable auction, with no meat product exchanging hands. Proceeds will instead be directed to 4-H and FFA exhibitors who participate in the auction. Some...
Meal giveaway for farmworkers in Greenfield grows to 3,000
GREENFIELD — For the second time, thousands of freshly prepared meals were distributed to farmworker families suffering during the Covid-19 crisis on May 26 at Patriot Park in Greenfield.
The food distribution is the latest effort by the United Farm Workers and World Central Kitchen...
Monterey County examines impacts of Covid-19 on local agriculture industry
SALINAS VALLEY — The results of a survey intended to better understand how Covid-19 has impacted Monterey County agriculture was released May 4 by Agricultural Commissioner Henry Gonzales.
Survey results showed a total of 2,093 acres lost or not planted.
“The survey is a preliminary look...
Monterey County receives 750,000 masks for farmworkers
MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County has received 750,000 procedure masks from the state specifically to protect agricultural workers in the area.
The delivery arrived May 7 after the Monterey County Emergency Medical Services Agency Medical Operation Area Coordinator requested them to safeguard farmworkers in the...
Smith Family Wines discontinues wine production
After 30 years of making its own wine, Smith Family Wines will discontinue producing the Paraiso, Irie and Alexander-Smith labels and close the tasting room at the Paraiso Vineyards on Paraiso Springs Road in Soledad.
Local News
Hartnell College commemorates Veterans Appreciation Week with campus, community events
SALINAS VALLEY — Hartnell College Veterans Resource Center will host its annual Veterans Appreciation Week from Nov. 10-14 at the college’s Main Campus in...
