54 F
Watsonville
December 4, 2024

Christmas tree sellers optimistic despite national shortage

In the weeks leading up to Christmas, tree farms across the nation are thrust into the spotlight and sellers start their busiest time of year. This year, the industry is holding steady, despite a nationwide shortage that is pushing up prices. Heatwaves and fires that...

Pioneer Organic farmers to field test new organic strawberry starts

In recognition of their research to improve organic strawberry farming systems, Organic Advocacy and Farm Fuel Inc. have been awarded a grant to study organic strawberry transplant (start) performance in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties.

Purple power

Turning onto Bonny Doon Road from Highway 1 north of Santa Cruz, one can expect a number of different sights and smells. Wildflowers flank the paved road at first, pushing out onto the pavement persistently. Then there are damp, cool redwood groves. After

Ag Calendar | Sept. 2019

Focus on Ag Calendar, Sept. 2019

Farm history gets new life

agricultural history project
WATSONVILLE—Heavy-duty earth-moving equipment rumbled into gear at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds over the past week, reshaping a chunk of land at the Agricultural History Project to make way for the expansion of the Living History Farm. Situated near the entrance of the fairgrounds, the...

EcoFarm rescheduled as a virtual conference in March

CENTRAL COAST—Executive director of the Ecological Farming Association (EcoFarm) Andy Fisher had only been in the position for six months before the pandemic hit California.  Fortunately, Fisher and his team had been able to hold their 40th annual conference in Pacific Grove that January. But...

Premiere Raspberries closing, laying off hundreds

Premiere Raspberries
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...

National Agriculture Day to be observed March 23

pvwma water rate increases
Agriculture, like most industries across the U.S., has faced numerous challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic this past year. From worker safety to supply chain shortages, everyone from large corporations to small family farms have felt the effects.  Which is why this year’s National Agriculture Day...

Orchard offers u-pick roses, outdoor fun

There is now a new way to assemble your own bouquet of roses, thanks to a pick-your-own rose venue at Birdsong Orchards in Watsonville. Owner Nadine Schaeffer said she is growing dozens of varieties of roses on her 8-acre parcel where she also tends to...

Lakeside Organic Gardens celebrates 25 years

When Dick Peixoto decided in 1996 to convert his 55-acre farm in Watsonville to an organic production, he wasn’t sure if he’d made the right decision.  Peixoto had been farming conventionally for years, and back then, organic produce was a specialty—something only smaller farms tended...
7,692FansLike
4,643FollowersFollow
2,895FollowersFollow

Photo story: Fire at historic hotel quickly quelled

Watsonville police assist firefighters at a structure fire at the Resetar Residential Hotel Wednesday afternoon on Main Street at West Lake Ave. Watsonville Battalion Chief...