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...
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...
Monterey Bay Rose Society’s pruning workshops begin
CENTRAL COAST—The California cut flower industry has changed drastically in the last 30 years. Once controlling more than half of cut flower sales in the U.S., it has gradually been overtaken by competition from overseas growers.
The Pajaro Valley, once a mecca of rose growing,...
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...
California ranches, farms take a hit
CENTRAL COAST—Pandemic-related losses to California farms, ranches and agricultural businesses will range between $5.9 billion and $8.6 billion this year, according to an economic study released June 23.
The analysis says the state’s $50 billion agricultural sector has already suffered $2 billion in losses so...
Watsonville farm, biotech company receives major grant from USDA
Since 2009, Blume Industries (BI) and Whiskey Hill Farms (WHF) have jointly operated a research and development incubator in Watsonville, aiming to find regenerative solutions for food, fuel and waste management.
And now they will have the opportunity to expand their reach, sharing what they...
Apple season in full swing at Pista Farmlands
Apple harvest is underway, and at Pista Farmlands in the Pajaro Valley, the season is shaping up to be a bountiful one.
Pista Farmlands is a 75-acre plot of land about one parcel northwest of Watsonville, consisting mostly of apple orchards that supply fruit to...
Farm Discovery hosts annual benefit dinner at Live Earth Farm
A sweeping view of the Pajaro Valley and the Santa Cruz Mountains greeted guests to Farm Discovery’s benefit dinner Saturday evening at Live Earth Farm.
How Farmworkers Outlawed ‘El Cortito’ 50 Years Ago
For decades in the Salinas Valley, the short-handle hoe, known as “El Cortito,” was used for weeding and thinning rows of crops that kept...
