Focus on Agriculture

CALIFORNIA—The Farm Credit Alliance was recently presented with Future Farmers of America’s (FFA) Distinguished Service Citation for its longstanding contributions to the organization and agricultural education in general. Katie Otto, development director for the California FFA Foundation, the state organization’s fundraising arm, said the California...

WATSONVILLE—Pajaro Valley’s agriculture businesses and the employees that keep them running are starting to feel the heat, literally. Rising temperatures and more frequent heat waves and wildfires are growing concerns for farmers in the typically cool, coastal stretch of land that overlaps Santa Cruz and...

CALIFORNIA—Five California Congress members, including Zoe Lofgren (District 19) and Jimmy Panetta (District 20) have unveiled a House bill to provide a path to citizenship for undocumented farmworkers. In an Oct. 30 “tele-press conference,” Lofgren and Panetta said their Farm Workforce Modernization Act would provide...

“Pollinate!”, a farm to table, flower to table event, will be held Sept. 23 as Farm Discovery at Live Earth’s ninth annual farm dinner. It will feature local chefs, farmers, artisans and winemakers, celebrating the abundance of fruit and vegetable crops grown in the Santa Cruz area.

The Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau in conjunction with the organization, Agri-Culture, will again host the National Agriculture Day Spring Luncheon.

  In 1983, a group of local farmers looking for ways to manage the Pajaro Valley’s groundwater basin formed the Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency (PVWMA). A year later, the agency was officially recognized by the state legislature, who tasked them to stop groundwater overdraft...

An eager group of fifth graders filed through fresh beds of dirt at Whisky Hill Farm (WHF) in Watsonville Sept. 13, ready to plant their very own seedlings.  Laura Arnow’s fifth grade class from Calabasas Elementary School were there to finally transplant crops they had...

WATSONVILLE—While some will be celebrating the birthday of activist and labor leader Cesar Chavez on March 31, a major raspberry grower in Watsonville will close its doors, and hundreds of employees will be laid off. A representative at Premiere Raspberries, LLC confirmed the closure Thursday...

Open Farm Tours (OFT) returns Oct. 8 and 9, offering the community a chance to visit organic farms, meet local farmers and learn about how their food is grown. The event, which has been held for the past nine years, is more than doubling the...

Some agriculture, farm and food events happening this month throughout Santa Cruz and Monterey counties.