Focus on Agriculture

The 41st Annual South County Ag Tour is set for Aug. 25, hosted by Monterey County Agricultural and Rural Life Museum, and will visit several agricultural destinations in South Monterey County.

The Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association (ALBA) will host a Family Farm Day on Saturday, June 10, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 1700 Old Stage Road near Salinas.

In celebration of National Salad Month and in recognition of the great agriculture bounty of the Central Coast, the California Welcome Center Salinas and the Soledad Visitors and Gateway Center will be giving out free samples of fruits and vegetables.

The Castroville Artichoke Food & Wine Festival will return to the Monterey County Fair and Event Center for two full days of cooking demonstrations, activities, exhibits and entertainment.

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.

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.

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.

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

A new irrigation enhancement project has seen positive results for farmers in the San Joaquin Valley.

Wine grape harvest is just around the corner in the Paso Robles wine country.