Volunteer for nature in 2025
Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority has invited all local nature enthusiasts to give back to nature by joining the agency’s 2025 Volunteer Cohort, the OSA said in a press release.
Volunteers play a key role in the OSA’s mission to care for and connect...
Valley Water Board elects chair, vice chair for 2025
The Valley Water Board of Directors elected Tony Estremera as the Chair for 2025, and Richard P. Santos as Vice Chair. The board voted on their new officers at the Dec. 10 meeting.
Estremera has been on the Valley Water Board since 1996, and is...
South Valley unites for farmworkers
On a recent December afternoon, about 30 volunteers gathered at St. Francis Retreat Center in San Juan Bautista to give their efforts to the sprawling, multifaceted Farmworker Caravan—an annual holiday donation drive for families in need in five counties.
Labeled a “Santa’s Workshop,” the Dec....
Morgan Hill third-grader grows California’s largest cabbage
Maci Johnson, a third-grader at El Toro Health Science Academy in Morgan Hill, is the California winner of this year’s National Bonnie Plants Third Grade Cabbage Program.
Each year, Bonnie Plants, the largest producer of vegetable and herb plans in North America, ships free O.S....
UC Santa Cruz secures 2,400-acre ranch in San Benito County
UC Santa Cruz recently acquired and established the Strathearn Ranch Natural Reserve, a 2,400-acre oak-studded grassland property in San Benito County that will be used for field research and outdoor education for the university’s students, staff and researchers.
The UC Board of Regents approved the...
Valley Water urges flood preparedness
Valley Water and the National Weather Service urged the community to prepare for winter storms during a news conference held Nov. 13 at a sandbag distribution center in San José.
Last winter, Valley Water partnered with Santa Clara County and local cities to help residents...
Charlie Palmer sees potential in Morgan Hill’s food, wine scene
For many, the name Charlie Palmer is immediately associated with his eponymous steak houses—and his Michelin star gem Aureole—in Manhattan.
But, it’s also synonymous with Sonoma Wine Country and Dry Creek Kitchen, a pioneering restaurant that helped establish Healdsburg’s status as an international culinary destination.
His...
Nursery crops, mushrooms top annual Santa Clara County ag report
Nursery crops retained their top spot in Santa Clara County in 2023, according to Santa Clara County’s latest Crop Report, with mushrooms clinging to the No. 2 spot despite a drop in crop value of almost 8% from 2022 due to the closure of...
Locally grown at Silos in downtown Morgan Hill
Morgan Hill has been evolving over the past decade, with new housing and a growing number of eateries bringing fresh energy to the town. While the surrounding areas still hold onto their agricultural roots, the town itself has embraced its small-town charm.
One of the...
New law allows more farmworker housing development in Santa Clara County
Gov. Gavin Newsom recently signed a new state law that could lead to more farmworker housing development in Santa Clara County.
Assembly Bill 3035 was authored by Assemblymember Gail Pellerin and was inspired by Santa Clara County Supervisor Sylvia Arenas’ Agricultural Worker Housing Initiative, says...