Business

The 2018 Farm Bill made it legal to grow commercial hemp in the U.S. for the first time in half a century, but fewer than half of California’s counties allow the crop. San Benito is one of them. Growers are now storming San Benito and...

San Benito Bene, 615-B San Benito St. in Hollister, is celebrating its eight-year anniversary on Saturday, July 27 from 11am-2pm. San Benito Bene, owned by Kathina Szeto, offers a variety of local products such as olive oils, chocolates, pottery, jewelry, soaps and spices. The shop earned...

The San Benito County Board of Supervisors approved a proposal July 23 that will transform a former turkey farm and equestrian facility into a hemp processor. San Jose-based Pacific Bay Capital Group plans to construct a 275,000-square-foot San Benito Hemp Campus at 7800 Lake Road...

Worth Saving Mercantile & Thrift Store celebrated its grand opening in downtown Hollister on July 10. The store, located at 101 Fifth St., opened in the former Pat’s Place, which closed in early 2018. Proceeds from Worth Saving benefit the non-profit Hollister Community Outreach/My Father’s...

Blenheim apricots, when compared to a typical variety, have a tangy-sweet taste that stands above all others. But the sweet, delicate fruit is disappearing, and has made it to Slow Food USA’s Endangered Foods list. The Blenheim has a very thin skin and bruises easily,...

The Hollister City Council voted  unanimously June 3 to allow recreational cannabis to be sold in the city, adopting a new cannabis ordinance without the word “medical.” The decision came after several council meetings and numerous town halls, where the council proceeded with caution and...

The Hollister Farmers Market returns Wednesday, May 1 to San Benito Street, beginning a 22-week season. The market is offering free booth space to any Hollister Downtown Association member business directly affected by the market footprint. To qualify, a business must be on San Benito...

Salinas-based Taylor Farms announced April 11 that it purchased organic grower Earthbound Farm of San Juan Bautista.. Privately held Earthbound Farm, billed as the largest producer of organic salads in the United States, has been owned by Paris, France-based Danone since 2017. The operation netted...

Uesugi Farms has harvested its last crops. The large, well-known, family-owned vegetable producer with operations in California—Santa Clara, Contra Costa, San Benito and other counties—and Mexico, is selling off all of its equipment and “winding down” its operations. There will be no spring planting of...

This isn't your grandad's cannabis business—unless your grandfather happens to be Captain Kirk. High Sierra Analytics in Hollister expects to open its cannabis testing laboratory within a month, in an industry that has lots of demand, but little supply. As testing requirements become tighter over...