Focus on Agriculture

When an animal is spotted by humans in the wild, it is often an exciting and awe-inspiring moment. Many of us are intrigued by wild animals — from grazing deer to stealthy mountain lions. If taught right, we know how to interact with them, keeping our distance and respecting their behavior.

Gonzales High School FFA Chapter President and Monterey Bay Sectional Reporter Samantha Santos, who was selected as the Monterey County Fair’s 2017 Heritage Scholarship winner, auctioned off two hogs Sept. 2 at the fair, one of which — the heritage hog — sold for more than $33,000.

The Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association (ALBA) aims to give opportunities to aspiring farmers through various training programs. In the classroom and on the field, students at ALBA are taught everything from crop planning to business management.

Members and staff of the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County came together at Watsonville Slough Farm on Aug. 5 to commemorate the work they've accomplished.

Every Friday locals pick up their allocated farm share boxes outside a small brown barn up Climbing Tree Lane. Rows and rows of laid back, suntanning sunflowers line the fence at the CCOF certified organic, sustainable Templeton Valley Farms, and it’s quiet – other than some purple berry-stained-faced children coming back from the new U-pick berry tents, and neighbors chatting with Angela, who mans the farm stand, who will describe with her Berlin accent, how to cook any vegetable the healthy way.

Tickets are now on sale for "Hot Cuban Nights!", a fundraiser dinner dance to benefit Open Farm Tours in Corralitos.

Celebrate the “Summer of Love” at the 81st Annual Monterey County Fair, Aug. 31 to Sept. 4, in Monterey, where more than 75,000 fairgoers are expected to come together for fun activities and events at the fairgrounds nestled on 22 oak-studded acres in the city.

On Wednesday, Sept. 13 the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds will open its gates once again for five days of family-friendly fun.

About 3,000 people with lavender shopping bags in-hand converged on the Paso Robles Downtown City Park to enjoy the Ninth Annual Paso Robles Lavender Festival, July 8, hosted by the Central Coast Lavender Growers Association and the Paso Robles Main Stree

Like many agricultural businesses in the Pajaro Valley, Sambrailo Packaging, the Watsonville-based packaging company that has been involved in the agricultural industry for the past 94 years, got its start in apples.