Focus on Agriculture

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.

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.

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.

Hundreds gathered at the AgTechx Expo last Thursday at the Salinas Valley Fairgrounds in King City to learn about the latest advances in how to better keep the public food supply safe from dangerous pathogens.

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

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.

Nearly 250 guests recently took a journey back in time to tour the properties owned by Salinas Land Co. and California Orchard Co. — located between King City and Greenfield — in celebration of the two companies’ 100th anniversary and their profound impact on agriculture in the Salinas Valley.

SOLEDAD — Locals and visitors alike drove last Sunday to pick up barbecued chicken, buy arts and crafts, listen to music and cheer on participants of the grape stomp at the 59th annual Soledad Mission Fiesta. This year’s grape stomp competitors included eight students from...

After more than four years of devastating drought, 2017 saw California receive the wettest winter in more than 100 years.

The Monterey County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office is investigating an incident of possible exposure of farmworkers to pesticides.