Agriculture

On Aug. 22, the Valley Water Board of Directors allocated additional resources to support greater service and coordination toward cleaning up trash, debris and hazardous pollutants produced by encampments along waterways in Santa Clara County. The board approved two new staff positions, adding to Valley...

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...

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...

Local and county officials met with agricultural leaders at the restored Miller Red Barn to discuss policy changes aimed at supporting South County farmers, emphasizing a desire to collaborate closely to craft rules that update the county’s aging ordinances while reflecting the modern reality...

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...

“Amazon-style” warehouses won't be in the future of Coyote Valley for now, as the city plans to preserve 314 acres of green space, marking a victory for local environmentalists. The San Jose City Council voted unanimously Nov. 16 to rezone portions of the valley south...

Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority has invited all local nature enthusiasts to give back to nature by joining the agency’s 2025 Volunteer Cohort, the OSA said in a press release.  Volunteers play a key role in the OSA’s mission to care for and connect...

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...

Sunday's dry spell helped the greater Bay Area briefly recover from a powerful storm on New Year's weekend, but a Pineapple Express on the way will soak the region mid-week, forecasters said Monday. Mop-up efforts to bail out flooded basements and clear mudslides from roadways...

Getting to the Sweepstakes round at the largest wine competition in North America takes a wine that outshines and outlasts 5,700 entries from more than 1,000 wineries in North America, Mexico and Canada.  The San Francisco Chronicle is not only the first official wine competition...