Agriculture

Projected costs of the massive Anderson Dam reconstruction project in Morgan Hill have risen to approximately $2.3 billion, according to a report prepared by engineers for the Santa Clara Valley Water District. Two years ago, the cost of the dam project—required for earthquake protection and...

Santa Clara County is considering sweeping changes to its rural zoning ordinances that would impose new building limits and require mitigation when farmland is converted to non-agricultural uses. If approved by county supervisors, the new rules could significantly affect wineries and other agricultural operations...

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...

The Gilroy Gardening Group held its annual plant sale April 19 at the Miller Red Barn in Christmas Hill Park. Now in its fourth year, the event featured thousands of organic plant starts for $5 each, including heirloom tomatoes, Asian vegetables, rare peppers and...

More than 1,400 people attended Gilroy High School FFA’s third annual Farm Day, which sought to teach the community about the value of farming and youth leadership. The event at the FFA barn on Kern Avenue welcomed everyone who wanted to learn more about the...

The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors has voted to limit development across some 7,500 acres in unincorporated Coyote Valley in an effort to preserve agricultural land for local farmers. The plan, which the board approved unanimously Dec. 14, will limit the number of single-family...

Managers of California’s two main water storage and delivery systems on March 22 announced increases to forecasted water allocations for millions of people and vast tracts of farmland. The state Department of Water Resources, which runs the State Water Project, said its anticipated water deliveries...

Nursery crops retained their top spot in Santa Clara County in 2023, according to Santa Clara County’s latest Crop Report, with mushrooms clinging to the No. 2 spot despite a drop in crop value of almost 8% from 2022 due to the closure of...

The Peninsula Open Space Trust purchased a nearly 2,500-acre portion of the Sargent Ranch in southern Santa Clara County, according to the organization’s president. The property is located near the site of a proposed sand and gravel mine. POST President Gordon Clark spoke with this...

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...