Agriculture

Most true lovers of pinot noir have made a pilgrimage to Calera Winery in Hollister, the place that firmly established North America’s ability to produce “the heartbreak grape.”  Calera Wine Company, established in 1975 in the remote hills of San Benito County, was the beautiful...

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...

The Conservation Fund purchased the Richmond Ranch on Jan. 22, a 3,653-acre property in southern Santa Clara County.  The Fund is a national organization that provides money to bridge the acquisition of conservation lands by private and public sources. In this case, they are buying...

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...

Gov. Gavin Newsom recently signed a new state law that could lead to more farmworker housing development in Santa Clara County.  Assembly Bill 3035 was authored by Assemblymember Gail Pellerin and was inspired by Santa Clara County Supervisor Sylvia Arenas’ Agricultural Worker Housing Initiative, says...

The Gilroy High School Future Farmers of America (FFA) students found much success at the Santa Clara County Fair in late July. Gilroy FFA had 22 students participate in this year's fair.  Students brought home top prizes, which included but not limited to: Caitlyn Correia,...

UC Santa Cruz recently acquired and established the Strathearn Ranch Natural Reserve, a 2,400-acre oak-studded grassland property in San Benito County that will be used for field research and outdoor education for the university’s students, staff and researchers.  The UC Board of Regents approved the...

On a normal Friday afternoon, the farmers market in downtown Watsonville—which draws vendors and customers from Hollister, Gilroy and beyond—is a bustling, joyous event, with gaggles of children playing in a bounce house and families happily in long lines to purchase fresh produce and...

The Amah Mutsun Land Trust board of directors appointed Noelle Chambers as its new executive director.  Chambers is the former Vice President of Conservation at Peninsula Open Space Trust, where she worked for 20 years and helped execute the successful protection and transfer of 30,000...

Local agencies finally have enough money to complete the Upper Llagas Creek Flood Protection Project, about 70 years after the massive infrastructure project was initially planned.  Valley Water celebrated the milestone Sept. 13 at the construction site in south Morgan Hill for the final phase...