Agriculture

Novel Coronavirus. Photo courtesy of Centers for Disease Control.

Health

March 23 coronavirus roundup for San Benito County

Free dial-a-ride services Monday to Friday (essential trips only) though April 7; Panetta and others send letter requesting assistance for specialty crop industry; YMCA supporting childcare needs of those with essential community roles who must continue working during pandemic.

Copper bullets are designed to mushroom, unlike lead bullets, which are designed to fragment into small pieces. Photo by Conservation Media and provided by Devii Rao.

Government / Politics

AB 711 and Prop 63 create new ammunition laws

AB 711 is a statewide bill that requires use of non-lead ammunition for hunting and depredation of wildlife, whereas Prop 63 requires background checks to buy ammunition of any kind in California.

Photo courtesy of Pixabay.

Health

San Benito County Water District issues safety statement

Groundwater sources (wells) would not be sources for COVID-19.

Photo courtesy of Pixabay.

Agriculture

SBC Farm Bureau cancels Farm Day due to coronavirus concerns

Ag organization expects to bring event back to Bolado Park next year.

Photo courtesy of Pixabay.

Agriculture

San Benito County Farm Bureau to host Farm Day

The day is organized for the purpose of increasing awareness of positive contributions that agriculture makes to the local economy and community.

Photo provided by Devii Rao.

Agriculture

UCCE to study livestock impact on fire fuel reduction

Study to estimate how much fuel livestock consume across California and whether grazing decreases wildfire speed and intensity.

Image from the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County.

Housing / Land Use

Land Trust of Santa Cruz acquires most of Rocks Ranch

Over 2,600 acres to be protected; development is still planned on 60 acres near Highway 101.

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Photo courtesy of Pixabay.

Agriculture

Supervisors adopt hemp changes

Revised ordinance includes exclusion zone, larger setbacks and a conditional use permit requirement.

Cannabis. Photo courtesy of Pixabay.

Agriculture

SJB adopts cannabis tax rates, rescinds ban

City could begin accepting business applications in late February.

Photo courtesy of Pixabay.

Agriculture

Free well testing in February

Service available to anyone living in San Benito County with a private domestic well which provides water to 1-14 households.

While the hemp growing season is over, the signs on a fence along Comstock Road remain. Photos by Noe Magaña.

Agriculture

County Planning Commission adjusts hemp ordinance setbacks

Proposed changes include requiring cultivators to obtain conditional use permit.

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Congressman Jimmy Panetta touring a strawberry farm in his district. Photos provided by the Office of Jimmy Panetta.

Agriculture

Q & A: Jimmy Panetta and the Farm Workforce Modernization Act

Congressman speaks on bipartisan bill that will ‘provide a clear path to legal status for our domestic farm laborers, and ensure a stable workforce for the future of agriculture.’

Farmworkers in San Benito County. File photo by John Chadwell.

Agriculture

Farmworker housing bill not enticing local growers

With concerns over liability and deed restriction, farmers appear unlikely to use new law AB 1783 intended to stimulate construction of farmworker housing.

Downtown San Juan Bautista. Photo by Leslie David.

Government / Politics

SJB council approves final housing element

Other actions include a timetable for rescinding the cannabis ban and selecting Mary Edge as mayor.

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Photo courtesy of Pixabay.

Environment / Nature

San Benito County precipitation levels deemed satisfactory

Since the start of this Water Year, San Benito County has received close to five inches of precipitation as of Dec. 12.

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