Agriculture

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...

Proprietor Billoo Rataul stands tall and proud as he surveys the vineyard land that gently slopes to the banks of Machado Creek outside Morgan Hill. Born and raised in northeast India, he grew up near jungles where beasts still roamed, and his childhood imagination...

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...

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...

Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (CA-18) will attend President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address on Feb. 24 with guest Lupe Lopez, co-founder of Gilroy-based Arteaga’s Food Center. “Today marks Trump’s 400th day in office, and it has been 400 days of disaster for the American...

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...

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...

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...

Santa Clara County health officials on Aug. 14 reported the first local death attributed to West Nile virus, a mosquito-borne illness. The death this month of an immunocompromised adult at a local hospital “after experiencing West Nile virus symptoms” is the second reported human case...

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...