Driscoll’s to build first commercial vertical strawberry farm
One year after announcing a new research and development partnership to grow strawberries indoors, Watsonville-based Driscoll’s and Plenty Unlimited Inc. are building a new indoor vertical strawberry farm.
Together, the companies aim to accelerate the growth of Driscoll’s top crop by using Plenty’s growing platform.
According...
100 years and counting
On June 22, the Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau will call to order at its annual meeting for the 100th time.
Guest View: A winning formula for the healthcare district board
We need Marcus Pimentel and Jasmine Najera as board members of the Pajaro Valley Health Care District (PVHCD) to continue the success of Watsonville Community Hospital (WCH) under community-led ownership. They’ve been in the trenches with the leadership of WCH throughout the process of...
Remembering the fallen: community celebrates Memorial Day
For Michelle Martinez Kamalani and her mother, Judy Martinez of Watsonville, Memorial Day meant setting time aside to visit Valley Catholic Cemetery.
With an electric weed-whacker, a whisk broom, hand clippers and two bunches of fresh flowers, the pair wandered through the rows of flower-festooned...
On My Mind, Jan. 2: Hansen Feed owner passes on
I am deeply saddened to learn that my friend Richie Hansen, owner of Hansen Feed and Pet Supply on Freedom Boulevard, has passed on. He was only 65.
Ag industries buoyed by federal loans
CENTRAL COAST—The Paycheck Protection Program helped save at least 17,000 agricultural jobs throughout the tri-county area, according to data released by the Small Business Administration on July 6.
The program, a part of the more than $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES)...
Powerful storms clobber Central Coast
A string of strong winter storms slammed the Central Coast over the past several days, toppling power and communication lines, knocking down scores of...




















