Agriculture

The Peninsula Open Space Trust recently completed the transfer of 1,908 acres of Lakeside Ranch in Morgan Hill to the Santa Clara Valley Habitat Agency.  With the transaction, the Habitat Agency gains stewardship of one of the largest remaining intact ranches in the South Bay,...

An expansion project underway at the South County Regional Wastewater plant will increase the treatment facility’s capacity by nearly 30%, bring advanced technology to the local recycled water production system, tighten South Valley’s commitment to sustainability and help accommodate the long-term growth coming to...

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...

Santa Clara County planning officials have walked back controversial proposed land use policy changes that would have reclassified animals as non-livestock, following fierce opposition from equestrians, ranchers and agricultural advocates who warned the amendments could devastate rural businesses and displace thousands of horses and...

The Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority last week announced the winners of the “Picturing Coyote Valley” photo contest, in which the public was invited to submit their best photos of wildlife, landscapes and people in open space areas just north of Morgan Hill.  The...

The Peninsula Open Space Trust purchased 2,284 acres of ranchland in southern Santa Clara County for $23 million, the organization announced Jan. 29. The acquisition brings POST’s total holdings at the former Sargent Ranch property to 6,114 acres and preserves sacred native land that...

Final counts reveal that more than 10,000 letters were submitted to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors during the public comment period for the Sargent Ranch Quarry Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) regarding a proposed open-pit mine at Juristac (Sargent Ranch) in southern...

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,...

What do you do when you’ve owned and operated one of Morgan Hill’s oldest and best known restaurants—a place I’ve called “Morgan Hill’s living room”—for years? You start a winery in San Martin, of course.  But it’s not just a winery; it’s a potential destination...

Horse owners, ranchers and agricultural advocates are sounding the alarm over proposed zoning amendments they say could force hundreds or more horses out of Santa Clara County and devastate an industry woven into the region’s rural heritage. The controversy centers on draft zoning ordinance amendments...