Agriculture

Final counts reveal that more than 10,000 letters were submitted to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors during the public comment period for the Sargent Ranch Quarry Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) regarding a proposed open-pit mine at Juristac (Sargent Ranch) in southern...

The total value of San Benito County’s crop production surpassed $405 million in 2024, with vegetables and row crops generating the most sales among all local agricultural production categories.  The county’s annual crop report this year says the total value of local agricultural production last...

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...

The feud between San Benito Foods and the City of Hollister may have to be settled in court as the tomato cannery filed a lawsuit in San Benito County Superior Court, alleging the city violated the California Environmental Quality Act and the Brown Act. The...

The San Benito County Board of Supervisors last week approved a resolution stating its opposition to local ballot Measure Q, and some have wondered if the action comes too close to violating state laws against using public resources to promote an election campaign. The resolution...

The Bureau of Land Management Central Coast Field Office is easing seasonal fire restrictions as of Nov. 19 for about 300,000 acres of BLM-managed public lands in Alameda, Contra Costa, Fresno, Merced, Monterey, San Benito, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz and...

With thousands of San Benito County residents set to lose their CalFresh benefits due to a suspension of federal funding, local organizations and service providers are preparing for a surge in the need for food assistance this month.  On Nov. 4, the board of supervisors...

Arguing that county officials and an out-of-town developer have ignored the voice of the voters over the last two years, a group of local residents has been circulating a petition to place a measure on the Nov. 8 ballot that would limit or prohibit...

Lightning caused four small wildfires in Santa Clara, Monterey and San Benito counties as thunderstorms rumbled across the area Sept. 9, the National Weather Service said. A fire in Santa Clara County charred about one acre west of Coyote Creek, the weather service said. A...

The 9,400-acre Silacci Ranch—a sprawling landscape that stretches from the Salinas Valley floor to the peaks of the Gabilan Range—will be protected forever from suburban sprawl following a recent agreement between the property owner and a California land trust.  The Silacci Ranch is located in...