Focus on Agriculture

South County organic farmer Israel Morales Sr. of JV Farms Organic in Soledad will receive the Organic Farmer of the Year Award at the Organic Trade Association’s Leadership Awards set for Sept. 11 at the Belvedere Hotel in Baltimore, Md.

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 2016 Monterey County Crop Report reflects a decrease of 9.5 percent from the previous year, with the crop production valued at $4.25 billion for 2016.

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.

The Monterey Bay Air Resources District (MBARD) held the 2017 Clean Air Leaders Awards on June 22 at Monterey Tides, 2600 Sand Dunes Drive, Monterey.

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.

Dr. Joji Muramoto recently joined Farm Fuel part-time as senior researcher/consultant to conduct research improving the efficiency of mustard seed meal and ASD applications and products.

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.

The Rancho Cielo Youth Campus was the site of a groundbreaking ceremony for the Ted Taylor Agricultural Center on April 8.

The California State Fair has announced the recipients of the prestigious 2017 agriculture awards, which will be presented at the annual Friends of the California State Fair Gala.