Focus on Agriculture

Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System’s Farmers’ Market kicked off its 2017-2018 season last Friday, May 19. The Certified Farmers’ Market offers fresh fruits and vegetables, flowers and other items.

The San Luis Obispo County Department of Agriculture/Weights and Measures has announced the release of the 2016 production statistics for the local agricultural industry. The total gross crop value for 2016 was $914,724,000.

Monterey County Vintners and Growers Association (MCVGA) has announced the beginning of the 2018 wine grape harvest in Monterey Wine Country.

The River Road Wine Trail presents the third installment of “Tunes, Trucks and Tastes” on Saturday, July 29, from 1 to 4 p.m. at Paraiso Vineyards, 38060 Paraiso Springs Road, in Soledad.

Nicolaus “Nicky” Hahn, founder of Hahn Family Wines and pioneer of California’s Santa Lucia Highlands AVA, died last Friday at his home in Zurich, Switzerland. He was 81 years old.

Agricultural Commissioner Henry Gonzales has announced that the economic value of Monterey County agriculture increased by 4 percent in 2017, as compared with 2016, with crop production values of $4.4 billion.

In a joint effort to accelerate the development of agricultural technologies, Wells Fargo has awarded Western Growers a $30,000 grant for the second year in a row.

The fifth annual Templeton Wine Festival, hosted by the Templeton Chamber of Commerce, is set to return Saturday, May 6.

Entries are now being accepted for the Central Coast Wine Competition (CCWC), which takes place June 21-22 in Paso Robles.

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.