Agriculture

A regional land preservation organization recently purchased a 1,986-acre ranch in west Morgan Hill, pledging to permanently protect the property that includes sweeping views and critical wildlife crossings, as well as homes for native and endangered species.  The Peninsula Open Space Trust announced on April...

In a milestone for creating a major new source of drinking water, California has approved its first standards for turning sewage into potable water supplies delivered to homes and businesses. The State Water Resources Control Board, in a unanimous vote Dec. 19, outlined for the...

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...

Three California assembly members on Tuesday introduced a newly minted bill which, if it becomes law, would bring financial assistance to storm and flood victims who are ineligible for state and federal assistance. Assembly Bill 513, also known as the California Individual Assistance Act, was...

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...

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...

A non-native Aedes aegypti mosquito—an aggressive species that can spread certain diseases—has been discovered in a residential area of Gilroy, according to the Santa Clara County Vector Control District. A mosquito of the same species was also found recently in a neighborhood of east...

Since planting their first crops about a year and a half ago, the owners and operators of Morgan Hill’s Three Feathers Farm haven’t rested in their efforts to cultivate relationships not only with buyers and vendors—but also with other growers, farming advocates and the...

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...

I recently went out to visit another winery in San Benito County, where the wineries and the wines share a similar place in the world of California regions—we had a history of being leaders in winemaking going back to the 19th century, we are...