Agriculture

After years of planning and negotiations with Caltrans and city officials, the Morgan Hill Farmers’ Market has crossed the railroad tracks. The market, which had operated for years in the much smaller parking lot on Depot Street, relocated in May to the Caltrain Station parking...

A local tree service, biochemistry company and property owner have been combining their efforts to keep a giant heritage oak tree alive and healthy on the northern edge of downtown Morgan Hill. On Feb. 18, a crew from Gilroy-based Moki Smith Tree Specialists visited the...

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...

On a 16-acre hilltop on Pacheco Pass Highway in southeast Gilroy, Recology turns thousands of tons of yard waste and food scraps from households throughout South Valley into nutrient-rich compost that farmers throughout the region use as a robust natural fertilizer.  The ultimate result is...

The community room of the Gilroy Library transformed into a walk-through installation on Nov. 5, depicting the life of civil rights champion and co-founder of the United Farm Workers Union, Dolores Huerta, who coined the phrase, “Sí se puede” (Yes, we can). Huerta briefly taught...

The scent of fresh-cut pine fills the air as Jorge Garcia watches his children, ages 2 and 5, weave between rows of evergreens with their mother, searching for the perfect Christmas tree. It’s their first time at Battaglia Ranch as a young family, but...

The ongoing project to restore Anderson Dam to functionality has been delayed by almost a year, extending the project’s completion to 2033 and increasing its estimated cost by approximately $100 million, according to Valley Water. The delay is due in part to a new schedule...

In the wake of a series of powerful winter storms that lashed California for three weeks in January, the state announced Jan. 26 that it will deliver more water than expected from its major storage and delivery system.  All 29 public water agencies—serving 27 million...

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...

Food pantries across South County are experiencing unprecedented demand following the suspension of SNAP benefits due to the federal government shutdown, with lines wrapping around blocks and new families seeking assistance at rates not seen since the COVID-19 pandemic. The Reach Out Food Pantry in...