PVWMA to bolster water conservation efforts
WATSONVILLE—In December, the Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency (PVWMA) Board of Directors approved a $1.2 million water conservation program aimed at further bolstering the efforts already in place by farmers.
PVWMA is partnering with the Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County (RCD) and the...
Farmworkers worked despite positive Covid-19 tests for fear of job loss, study shows
CENTRAL COAST—Many Monterey County farmworkers are going to work despite testing positive for the novel coronavirus, and some of those laborers are doing so because they are concerned about losing their job, their pay or because their employer told them to.
That’s according to the...
Production moves forward at JSM Organics
For many farmers, the winter months are spent recovering from harvest season and getting ready to plant. Even in a Mediterranean climate like the Central Coast, it is common for farms to use the slower time to reassess.
But at JSM Organics in Royal Oaks,...
Four Winds Growers sees uptick in sales during pandemic
Four Winds Growers, a fourth-generation, family-run business in Watsonville specializing in citrus trees, has seen major growth in sales since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Aaron Dillon, who runs the business with his siblings, says that the surge is likely due to people who...
Farmers, ranchers celebrate defeat of split-roll tax measure
CALIFORNIA—Crediting a unified effort by California farmers, ranchers and their organizations, California Farm Bureau Federation President Jamie Johansson thanked voters for rejecting the split-roll tax measure on the Nov. 3 ballot.
The initiative, Proposition 15, would have allowed reassessment and higher property taxes on a...
CDFA seeks members for advisory committee
CALIFORNIA—The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is currently accepting applications from stakeholders interested in serving on a Registered Service Agency (RSA) Advisory Committee. Business and Professions Code (BPC), Division 5, Chapter 5.5,
Section 12541 authorizes the RSA Advisory Committee to advise the Department...
Apple harvest wraps up at historic Corralitos orchard
It has not been an easy harvest season for California apples. When temperatures shot up into the 100s in August and September, sparking wildfires across the state and harming numerous agricultural commodities, apples were one of the hardest-hit crops. The fruit is susceptible to...
Open Farm Tours returns this weekend
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The annual Open Farm Tours will return this weekend—albeit in a different capacity.
Pre-registration is now required for small, socially-distanced outdoor tours at the following farms: Thomas Farm and Luz Del Valle Farm in Aptos, and GroundSwell Farm in Santa Cruz. Additional participating...
Rivas named Assembly Ag Committee Chair
CALIFORNIA—Assemblymember Robert Rivas (D-Hollister) has been named Chair of the Assembly Agriculture Committee by Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood). Raised in farmworker housing, Rivas represents the 30th Assembly District, which includes the agriculture-rich Salinas and Pajaro valleys on the Central Coast.
“My district is known as...
CCOF offers grants to farmers affected by fires
The California Certified Organic Farmers Foundation is poised to help organic farmers recover from the unprecedented wildfires burning across the West Coast, including CCOF’s hometown of Santa Cruz.
The Bricmont Hardship Assistance Fund gives grants to organic business owners affected by hardships of all kinds,...
Prep Athletes of the Week: MVC’s Boston Ashe; St. Francis’ Maya...
The Pajaronian’s Prep Athletes of the Week were selected based on their performances during the week of Sept. 8-14. Coaches and athletic directors are...
