Focus on Agriculture

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.

A sold-out South County Ag Tour, presented by Monterey County Agricultural and Rural Life Museum, allowed participants to visit a few agricultural businesses in the area last Saturday.

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.

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.

Monterey County Board of Supervisors voted May 22 in favor of lowering a tax rate on cannabis industries in the area.

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 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.

SOLEDAD — Soledad Historical Society’s farmers market returned with a new season that began on April 1. FULL STORY: https://salinasvalleytribune.com/soledad-farmers-market-returns-with-new-season-after-shutdown/

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.

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.