Eden Rift: Where the past is present
I recently went out to visit another winery in San Benito County, where the wineries and the wines share a similar place in the world of California regions—we had a history of being leaders in winemaking going back to the 19th century, we are...
Trump takes steps to overhaul CA water delivery
President Donald Trump lost no time Jan. 20 in advancing his agenda for California’s water supply with a “presidential action” intended to send more Delta water south to millions of Southern Californians and San Joaquin Valley farms.
The memo calls on the Secretary of Commerce...
Study: Employers fail to keep farmworkers safe from Covid
Although farm and food production workers were considered essential workers during the pandemic, many of California's food employers endangered those workers, violating Cal/OSHA's Covid-19 guidelines more often than most industries, a new report said.
The California Institute for Rural Studies’ report said farm and food...
Valley Water urges flood preparedness
Valley Water and the National Weather Service urged the community to prepare for winter storms during a news conference held Nov. 13 at a sandbag distribution center in San José.
Last winter, Valley Water partnered with Santa Clara County and local cities to help residents...
Garlic harvest beats expectations
With nearly 105 million pounds of garlic consisting of more than one billion bulbs, Christopher Ranch’s 2022 season is the strongest it has been in recent years.
Ken Christopher, executive vice president of the Gilroy-based company, said ideal weather conditions, such as a cool winter...
Doctors issue advisory over mushroom poisonings
Santa Cruz and Monterey counties were included in a list of areas statewide where people have been severely sickened by Amanita phalloides—commonly known as the death cap mushroom.
A group of doctors from across California warned Jan. 14 that foraging for wild mushrooms can be...
Federal monitor moves county from ‘Severe’ to ‘Moderate’ drought
With seemingly constant rain storms pummeling the South Bay so far this winter, a federal drought monitoring program recently downgraded most of Santa Clara County from “Severe” to “Moderate” drought. But local water supply authorities warn that residents and property owners should continue to...
Anderson Dam retrofit construction to start in early 2027
Valley Water officials shared progress updates and timeline revisions for the Anderson Dam Seismic Retrofit Project during a community meeting Feb. 20, announcing the release of the final Environmental Impact Report for the project, as well as giving a general update on the project...
Counting on sheep
As vineyard manager at the 7,000-acre Paicines Ranch in San Benito County, Kelly Mulville has a rather significant task: he’s trying to practice organic, regenerative farming on 25 acres of vines while surrounded by hundreds of acres of vineyards being conventionally farmed.
“Our underlying philosophy...
Report identifies ‘significant’ impacts from proposed Sargent Mine
Santa Clara County planning officials have released the draft Environmental Impact Report for the 403-acre Sargent Ranch quarry project that is proposed south of Gilroy.
The public comment period on the EIR began July 25 and will continue until Sept. 26, according to county staff.
Representatives...























