Focus on Agriculture

GREENFIELD — The drive for Greenfield residents seeking county resources will be shortened with the creation of a farmworker resource center. Monterey County Board of Supervisors approved the allocation of $250,000 on Feb. 1 for the creation of the center in Greenfield. The county allocation...

GONZALES — Seven members of the Gonzales FFA chapter attended a regional leadership conference on Oct. 8-9, during which more than 275 other students, all involved in the FFA, united at the 2022 South Coast Region FFA Chapter Officer Leadership Conference in Hollister. The FFA...

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 — It was a packed house inside the Orradre Building at the Salinas Valley Fairgrounds in King City on April 15, as 600 supporters of the Salinas Valley Fair attended the annual Fair Kick-Off dinner, dance and auction fundraiser. Guests were served a...

Editor’s Note: The following profile is an excerpt from Amy Wu’s 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. Ellie Symes could easily pass for the...

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,...

More than three decades ago, Cesar Chavez, founder of the first successful union for farmworkers, predicted a future in which the cities of California would be run by people who looked like him. “History and inevitability are on our side,” he said in one of his best-known...

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...

SALINAS VALLEY — Monterey County Home Charter School senior Carli Hammond was crowned 2022 Miss Salinas Valley Fair after competing against one other girl in such areas as personality, scholastic ability, poise and horsemanship. The annual contest took place at the Salinas Valley Fairgrounds in...

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. Martha Montoya never imagined that her...