Agriculture

The Gilroy Garlic Festival drew more than 12,000 people over the three-day event, organizers said, as the festival pushes toward its 50th anniversary in 2028 following its return in 2025 after a yearslong hiatus. The volunteer-run festival, held July 24-26 at the Hecker Pass Outdoor...

Construction on a proposed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing facility in Gilroy has been temporarily paused while federal attorneys prepare their response to a lawsuit challenging the project, according to opponents of the facility. The pause comes after California Attorney General Rob Bonta and...

Rani Douglas knew she had found something special the moment she walked to the top of the 10-acre property that would become Gabilan Ridge Winery. It was April, the hills were green, the oak trees were towering and the panoramic views of the Cienega...

Emily Drost—a local volunteer, youth mentor and rodeo competitor—was named Miss San Benito Rodeo and will compete for the title of Miss California Rodeo Salinas 2026.  Drost will compete against five other contestants hailing from throughout the Central Coast. The 2026 Miss California Rodeo Salinas...

Downtown Hollister filled with cattle, classic cars and color guards June 20 as the San Benito County Saddle Horse Show and Rodeo kicked off its annual Downtown Parade, a tradition tied to a rodeo dating back to 1929. The parade began at 11am along San...

Authorities are urging residents who recently purchased grapevines from Costco stores in Monterey, Santa Cruz or Santa Clara counties to contact the San Benito County Agriculture Department as part of a statewide effort to stop the spread of a destructive invasive insect. Department staff announced...

The all volunteer San Benito County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Mounted Unit took their horses for a training session in preparation for the San Benito County Saddle Horse Show & Rodeo Downtown Parade scheduled for 11am June 20. From left to right are J.D....

A series of letters published in South Valley newspapers over the past several months claiming that mountain lions are dangerously overpopulated in the Santa Cruz Mountains has drawn sharp disagreement from researchers and wildlife managers who say the claims misrepresent how the species’ populations...

San Benito Agricultural Land Trust this week announced it has received grant funding to support two significant land conservation projects in San Benito County.  Grants totaling more than $3.4 million will partially fund the purchase of the 586-acre San Antonio Ranch in San Juan Bautista,...

Rachael Gallagher wears the crown as the 2026 Miss Gilroy Garlic Festival Queen, winning the distinction at the festival’s annual scholarship pageant on April 19. Gallagher, 25, is a Gilroy native and a graduate of Gilroy High School’s Class of 2018, according to the Gilroy...