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...
Open Farm Tours highlights sustainable growers
At Blossom’s Farm in Corralitos, owners Delmar McComb and Carin Fortin are doing things differently.
A “biodynamic” farm, Blossom’s attempts to be self-sustaining—utilizing land, plants and animals to create a single living organism, which is a concept introduced by Rudolf Steinfer in 1924.
“We are trying...
Ag History Project looks ahead
WATSONVILLE—A buggy that once transported people along the streets of San Jose in the 1880s and ‘90s is now on display at the Agricultural History Project, restored and with a fresh coat of paint.
Hassan Zamani, who has volunteered with the AHP for two years,...
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...
Farm Credit honored for supporting FFA
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...
Highway 1 project continues, Capitola Ave. bridge demolition approaches
As he drove under the new pedestrian and bicycle bridge spanning Highway 1 Wednesday, CalTrans structural engineer Jorge Uberhuaga pointed to the wooden framework he described as a “bridge to build a bridge.”
After installing the rebar skeleton, workers will soon begin pouring cement that...
Watsonville High names Hall of Fame inductees
Every year, the Watsonville High School Foundation welcomes its latest members of the school’s Hall of Fame—people who have walked the hallowed halls, graduated and gone on to lead notable lives.
The awards ceremony was launched in 1986 as a way to showcase the achievements...
State prioritizes farmworkers for Covid-19 vaccinations
CALIFORNIA—As California deals with a surge of Covid-19 cases, hope is in sight as the vaccine begins to be administered to healthcare workers and long-term care residents.
And on Jan. 13, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared that farmworkers would be included in the next tier.
The announcement...
A chat with Integrity Wines’ Mark Hoover
Integrity Wines, located at the Watsonville Municipal Airport, has been in Watsonville for two years.
EcoFarm bus tour rolling through Pajaro Valley
WATSONVILLE—Three organic Pajaro Valley farms will be featured in the 2020 EcoFarm Conference bus tour Wednesday—and a handful of seats are still available. Participants will visit Lakeside Organic Gardens, JSM Organics and Coastal Sun Cannabis/Moon Berry Farm during the tour, which kicks off the...
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...