Agriculture

A coalition of local, state and national groups will host a pollinator habitat planting community action volunteer event May 2 and 3 at the San Benito County Historical Park in Tres Pinos. Volunteers will be encouraged to spend the morning helping to prepare the soil...

Lifelong San Martin resident Kenneth Ludewig, a local “treasure” who brought joy to countless South Valley residents as the creator and operator of the former San Martin Country Park & Pumpkin Patch, died unexpectedly on Nov. 7, according to family members. He was 74...

Locals named to Dean’s List Hollister residents Ema Alfaro, Miranda Hernandez, Daniela Hernandez and Anessa Ocampo were named to the Stanislaus State University Dean’s List for the spring 2023 semester.  To qualify for the Dean’s List, students must earn a GPA of 3.5 or higher and...

As the days become shorter, trees start to change their colors and the crisp of fall appears in the morning air, that means many San Benito County residents’ favorite seasonal pastimes are on the horizon. That includes the many events, activities and farmstand shopping...

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...

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...

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...

Ken Griffin is San Benito County’s first agricultural commissioner since 2021, following a recent interview and vote by the board of supervisors.  Griffin has served as the county’s Acting Agricultural Commissioner for about five years. The board voted to remove “acting” from his title on...

I love our local wineries but have to admit I haven’t been to them all. In an attempt to spice things up and seek something new, I wanted to take a trip to Leal Vineyards near Hollister.  I decided I wanted to slow it down,...

San Benito County officials certified the citizens’ petition for an initiative that would require voter approval for certain land rezoning decisions, but are waiting for an impact report on the proposal before deciding whether to place the measure on the November ballot. The board of...