Agriculture

The ninth annual Baler Buckaroo at Hollister High School on Oct. 23 brought classmates from all backgrounds and abilities together to enjoy an inclusive hands-on rodeo experience catered for students with special needs.  Hosted by the Hollister High FFA program, the Baler Buckaroo took place...

Government, business and nonprofit leaders around San Benito, Santa Cruz and Monterey counties staged the 2025 State of the Region Oct. 17 at CSU Monterey Bay to discuss a vast list of topics from healthcare and air mobility to hospitality, tourism, advances in the...

Squeals of laughter and the scent of hay filled the air as children raced through the corn maze, picked out pumpkins nearly as big as they were, and enjoyed rides at the annual fall festival at Swank Farms—a beloved South Valley tradition marking the...

Three connected agricultural properties straddling the border of San Benito and Santa Clara counties were recently purchased by conservation organizations, ensuring the lands totaling more than 600 acres will remain an active link in a vital regional ecosystem.  The Peninsula Open Space Trust on Oct....

The Amah Mutsun Land Trust this week announced that by the end of 2025, it will acquire a 50-acre property near the intersection of Highways 129 and 101 in San Juan Bautista—marking the first time the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band has regained full access...

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...

Every Saturday, scores of people make the drive to Pinnacle Farms market in San Juan Bautista to buy fresh, organically grown produce. Owners Phil and Katherine Foster began farming in San Benito County in 1968. Today they grow certified organic fruit and vegetables on 295...

In the rolling hills south of Hollister, the Miller family have transformed a former walnut farm into an eclectic “destination bakery” that reflects their philosophy of giving new life to old structures and traditions. The heart of Suncoast Organic Farms is a century-old barn that...

Praise be to the gods of pizza and pasta, and wine. Fridays and Saturdays have already become legend at Little Uvas and DeRose Vineyards on Fitzgerald Avenue in San Martin, where the hospitality flows like wine, and the woodfired pizza oven turns out pies...

It’s that time of year when cherries are ripening and families from throughout the region enjoy a stroll through the orchards selecting their favorite types. At Fairhaven Orchards in Hollister, the Rajkovich family owned business has operated for more than 75 years and proudly continues...