Agriculture

As Santa Clara County suffers through a third straight year of severe drought, then a historic heat wave two weeks ago, the Valley Water Board of Directors unanimously voted Sept. 13 to strengthen existing rules aimed at reducing outdoor watering.  The board amended the existing...

Nursery crops remained at the top in Santa Clara County, growing by 19% in 2021 to exceed $109 million in value, according to the 2021 crop report released Aug. 31. Mushrooms, meanwhile, grew by 5% but remained in second place at $79,480,000, followed by bell...

Leadership scholarship Each year the American Association of University Women (AAUW) selects a community member to receive a full scholarship to the Leadership Morgan Hill Program. Applications (21+ years old) for the scholarship for the Leadership Class of 2023 are available on the website, aauwmh.org.   Those...

Morgan Hill’s first farmworker housing development will break ground on Watsonville Road on Aug. 11, according to city staff. A groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for 1pm at the project site, near the intersection of Monterey Road. Royal Oak Village is a 73-unit multi-family apartment complex,...

Santa Clara County planning officials have released the draft Environmental Impact Report for the 403-acre Sargent Ranch quarry project that is proposed south of Gilroy. The public comment period on the EIR began July 25 and will continue until Sept. 26, according to county staff. Representatives...

A newly funded housing complex in Morgan Hill will include units specially dedicated for farmworkers, the city announced on July 11.  The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors originally signed off on a $13.2 million proposal for the site on June 28.  The Magnolias will be...

Although farm and food production workers were considered essential workers during the pandemic, many of California's food employers endangered those workers, violating Cal/OSHA's Covid-19 guidelines more often than most industries, a new report said. The California Institute for Rural Studies’ report said farm and food...

The Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority has entered a three-year lease to allow Spina Farms Pumpkin Patch and Fruit Stand to reopen at a new location at Laguna Avenue and Santa Teresa Boulevard in Coyote Valley. The 60 acres of prime farmlands (known...

An expansion project underway at the South County Regional Wastewater plant will increase the treatment facility’s capacity by nearly 30%, bring advanced technology to the local recycled water production system, tighten South Valley’s commitment to sustainability and help accommodate the long-term growth coming to...

The 41st Morgan Hill Mushroom Mardi Gras took over the city’s downtown for the holiday weekend, bringing patrons and visitors all the arts and crafts, food vendors and live entertainment they missed from the festival’s cancellations due to Covid-19 in recent years. The Mushroom Mardi...