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Santa Cruz County Agriculture, Food & Gardening Articles



Good Times logo LOCAL NEWS
New Caffé & Deli

Opened three months ago in the Seacliff neighborhood of Aptos, Castelli’s Caffé and Deli has been embraced by the locals. Chris Castelli owns the new spot with her son, Vittorio, with a motif she defines as Italian-style New York deli …

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A New Leader, A Traditional Fair

New CEO Zeke Frazier talks about what's in store for the Santa Cruz County Fair

Image caption: California Forever, a company that wants to use Silicon Valley cash to develop a new city, promises to open a "conversation" with Solano County residents about it.
California Forever: Tech Investors Begin PR Campaign for New City

California Forever, the company backed by billionaire Silicon Valley investors that wants to build a new city in Solano County, has posted a new website in an attempt to start a "conversation" about the massive project.

KSQD logo LOCAL NEWS
People’s Tribunal on Pesticide Use and Civil Rights

Mark Weller of Californian's for Pesticide Reform discusses the tribunal planned for the 12th of September as well as other issues of pesticide reform in California. People's Tribunal on Pesticide Use and Civil Rights in California Live Event and Webinar …

Image caption: Since the Gold Rush era, land reclamation has cost California 90 percent of its wetlands.
How Land Reclamation Hurts California’s Environment

Since the Gold Rush era, land reclamation projects have helped to build California, but they are also damaging the state’s environment for people, plants and animals by eliminating essential wetlands.

Image caption: A recent farmworker death highlights the need for additional heat safety measures.
Farmworker Dies in 100-Degree Heat Amid Calls for New Protections

U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla and the United Farm Workers union say a recent death in a tomatillo field was due to heat, but a coroner’s report doesn’t back that up.

Image caption: How California reclamation districts turned millions of acres of wetlands into fertile agricultural land, starting in the earliest days of the Gold Rush.
Reclamation Districts: Turning ‘Swamps’ Into Farmland

California has used reclamation districts to turn millions of acres of unusable swamps into fertile agricultural land, starting in the earliest days of the Gold Rush. Here’s how it happened.

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Focus on farmworkers and farm fallout

About 700 people packed the Mello Center in Watsonville Friday afternoon for Harvesting Equity, an event where safety, living wages, contracts, housing and immigration reform for farmworkers took center stage. At the podium were Mireya Gómez-Contreras, Ann Lopez PhD and …

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Growing for your health right at home

Start getting healthy right outside your door Plant medicine is no longer just for hippies, and Santa Cruz is a backyard-medicinal-herb-growing heaven. People from every class, culture, political affiliation and neighborhood are seeking out traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurveda, Western Herbalism …

Image caption: Even a small rise in temperature makes workers more likely suffer injuries on the job.
Extreme Heat Injures 20K California Workers Every Year

A workers comp study says one day above 100 degrees can cause 15 percent more accidents, costing workers and employers millions. A new advisory panel may help the state improve its work heat rules.

Image caption: In the years since she recovered from a severe illness brought on by West Nile Virus, Marie Heilman has helped spread the word about the Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito & Vector Control District's "Fight the Bite" campaign.
West Nile Virus Survivor Offers a Warning and a Plea

Marie Heilman of Winters, who is happy to be alive, wants people to guard against mosquitoes and the deadly virus they carry.

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Pajaro Gets $20 Million in State Budget

The money will help Pajaro residents recover from flooding, regardless of immigration status.

KSQD logo LOCAL NEWS
Sustainability Now! Sunday, June 25th: Can Green Manure Cover Crops End Drought in Africa? With Roland Bunch

Can Green Manure Cover Crops End Drought in Africa? With Roland Bunch   On Sustainability Now! Sunday, June 25th, 5-6 PM on KSQD 90.7 FM and KSQD.org   Join Host Ronnie Lipschutz for a conversation with Roland Bunch, who has worked in …

Image caption: CalFresh beneficiaries may soon no longer be able to use their EBT cards at their local farmers' market.
CalFresh Farmers Market Benefits May Be Cut in Budget Deal

A popular program doubles CalFresh benefits to buy fruits and vegetables at farmers’ markets. It is among the California food benefit programs on the table in the budget negotiations between legislative leaders and Gov. Newsom.

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Our Shot to Let it Rot

Inside the Dimeo Lane Resource Recovery Center, on the ramp of the Food Scrap Pre-Processor, a team of three works to back up a trash truck. It’s a tight fit. The truck deposits its load into the processor: giant corkscrew-shaped …

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County Supes Appoint New Agricultural Commissioner

New Deputy Agriculture Commissioner David Sanford will be responsibly for Santa Cruz County's pesticide enforcement, among other duties

San Lorenzo Valley Post logo LOCAL NEWS
Landscaping with Flowering Trees

By Josh Reilly June is upon us. The plants seem to sprawl languorously in the blazing sun, doing nothing except tempting bees and photosynthesizing furiously. There will be long, warm afternoons sitting in the shade when the chores are done, …

The Pajaronian logo LOCAL NEWS
Four candidates apply for Santa Cruz County Fair CEO position

The Santa Cruz County Fair Board reported on Tuesday that there are four candidates for CEO to replace former fairgrounds manager Dave Kegebein. The board noted the CEO applications have been reviewed and the candidates have gone through an initial …

San Lorenzo Valley Post logo LOCAL NEWS
Showtime in the Garden: May Blooms and Vegetable Garden Bliss

By Josh Reilly It’s showtime! We’ve spent the long, cold Winter peeking out the window through the downpour at leafless stems, shoots, and branches. And mud. We’ve allowed ourselves a little advance joy with each new leaf or flower bud …

Image caption: Gary Gragg examines buds on one of the mango plants he's growing in the Sacramento Valley.
Mangoes and Agave in the Central Valley?

The future of farming in California is changing as the planet warms, altering the rain and heat patterns that guide which crops are grown where. “We’re adjusting for survival,” one grower said.

Featured

RCDs look after the land, whether it’s used for grazing, growing, or getting out into nature.
California Dirt
RCDs were created to avoid a repeat of the Dust Bowl. Now they work with landowners to preserve the air, water and natural habitats that sustain us all.
Dairy products are California’s top agricultural commodity, but the industry is often criticized for its impact on the environment.
Sustainable Sustenance
Greener ways to feed the world’s growing population
Fresh and dried fruit, wine, nuts and more can be found at Casa De Fruta, a venerable stop for drivers traversing Pacheco Pass.
Roadside Attractions
Apples and berries, steaks and dairy...and much more
They help feed the whole country, but life for California’s farm workers remains a struggle.
How California Feeds the Country
California, a state known for high-tech and show business glitz, is also America’s farming powerhouse.
How California reclamation districts turned millions of acres of wetlands into fertile agricultural land, starting in the earliest days of the Gold Rush.
Reclamation Districts: Turning ‘Swamps’ Into Farmland
From its earliest days as a state, California has been trying to turn marshes into productive land.
Since the Gold Rush era, land reclamation has cost California 90 percent of its wetlands.
How Land Reclamation Hurts California’s Environment
The hidden price tag of “reclaiming” swamps and marshes as usable land.
Working together with many volunteers, this crew feeds 65,000 people in Santa Cruz County every month.
California’s Oldest Food Bank Pays It Forward
California’s first food bank has helped residents of Santa Cruz County for more than 50 years.
The 1965 law known as the Williamson Act has been responsible for keeping about half of California's farmland out of the hands of developers.
The Williamson Act: How the Law That Protects California’s Farmland Works
More than half of California farmland is under contracts that prevent its development.
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