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Watsonville
March 18, 2024

Farm Discovery at Live Earth raises $87K for education, produce programs

WATSONVILLE—Watsonville-based organization Farm Discovery at Live Earth announced that it raised $87,800 at its annual benefit dinner on Sept. 24. “Mesa: Farm Discovery Fall Feast in the Fields” was held at Live Earth Farm in Watsonville, and drew attendance from across the region. Guests were...

2021 Crop Report released

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Santa Cruz County Agricultural Commissioner Juan Hidalgo released the 2021 Santa Cruz County Crop Report on Oct. 5, which shows a 3.4 percent increase in overall crop production values over the past year. Strawberries remain the top crop in Santa Cruz County, with...

Open Farm Tours returns Oct. 8-9

Open Farm Tours
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...

Calabasas students plant garden at Whisky Hill Farms

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 High graduate makes national FFA competition

WATSONVILLE—Juan Herrera has been keeping busy since he graduated from Watsonville High School (WHS) in 2021. After landing a job with K&D Landscaping while still in school, Herrera rose up through the ranks, starting in the maintenance crew and finally working on larger residential and...

District 4 Dairy Princess, alternates crowned

Ellie Dyt knows a lot more about the California Dairy Industry than most seventeen-year-old high schoolers. Dyt was raised on a dairy farm her whole life in the small town of Crows Landing, home to thousands of dairy cows, gaining first-hand experience by working there...

Guy George selected as Farmer of the Year

WATSONVILLE—Guy George has been selected as the 2022 Farmer of the Year by the Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau. The annual award is presented to farmer(s) who have contributed “beyond their normal farming duties to help the community,” according to SCFB.  George has been farming in...

Strawberries once again take top spot as crop values rise

MONTEREY COUNTY—Monterey County agriculture’s gross production value bounced back by 4.8% in 2021 to just over $4.1 billion, despite the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic that also resulted in supply chain shortages. This increase represents a $190 million rise from 2020, when the gross production value was...

Esperanza Community Farms receives $50k grant

Since 2017, Esperanza Community Farms in Watsonville has provided affordable organic produce to hundreds of local families, while aiming to promote healthy eating, sustainability and economic justice.  And now, thanks to a $50,000 grant from the No Kid Hungry Centering Equity Fund, Esperanza has linked...

Pilot program weighs notification of pesticide use

WATSONVILLE—A new pilot program to inform residents of hazardous pesticide applications at area farmlands, under the umbrella of the Santa Cruz County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office, will go into motion in August.  The program was outlined by Agricultural Commissioner Juan Hidalgo at a community meeting at...
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PV’s Valeria Acosta named Mission Division’s co-MVP | All-PCAL girls soccer

Pajaro Valley High senior Valeria Acosta was named the Pacific Coast Athletic League Mission Division’s co-Most Valuable Player for the 2023-24 girls soccer season. Acosta...