Agriculture

Winged visitors alien to the area have been casting their large shadows over Contra Costa and Stanislaus counties recently.  Preservation group Save Mount Diablo said in a statement Sept. 25 they’ve tracked the paths of six California condors soaring through the skies above Round Valley...

Pumpkin giveaway event set in Hollister Gonzalez and Jones Law is hosting a community event on Oct. 7 to give away pumpkins to families in need in Hollister. The event will be held at 905 San Benito St. in Hollister from 1-4pm. All families who are in...

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...

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...

Wildfires and climate change are locked in a vicious circle: Fires worsen climate change, and climate change worsens fires. Scientists, including those at the World Resources Institute, have been increasingly sounding the alarm about this feedback loop, warning that fires don’t burn in isolation—they produce...

San Benito County held a town hall meeting Sept. 5 on storm cleanup to inform local homeowners of a new executive order signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom that grants emergency permissions to accelerate debris removal related to the atmospheric river storms earlier this year. The...

The Hollister Agricultural and FFA (Future Farmers of America) program has been making waves with its outstanding achievements, student recognition and commitment to agricultural education and sustainability. The program’s success can be attributed to the dedication of its educators, the collaboration with the community...

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is providing disaster assistance to small businesses and persons in San Benito County that were affected by the winter storms earlier this year. The SBA is offering low-interest loans to those who suffered damage or financial loss due...

The San Benito Agricultural Land Trust recently completed steps to permanently protect another portion of Phil Foster Ranch in San Benito County’s fertile San Juan Valley.  With assistance from two public funding programs, SBALT has acquired an agricultural easement that brings the total protected acreage...

The San Benito County Planning Commission held a scoping meeting Aug. 2 for the proposed Ranch 35 Quarry project near the intersection of State Route 156 and U.S. 101. The meeting’s purpose was to inform the public about the scope of the quarry project...