THE LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE OF SAN BENITO COUNTY
JANUARY 25, 2019
A supplement to the Hollister Free Lance
Hollister farm flourishes as herby enterprise
SAN BENITO MAGAZINE INSIDE THIS ISSUE
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Traffic patrols target school dangers POLICE TO INCREASE PATROLS IN ZONES AT HOLLISTER SCHOOLS Scott Forstner Reporter
➝ School, 11
File Photo
The Hollister Police Department announced it is increasing patrols in efforts to reduce dangerous driving around school zones. The locations will vary around the school sites within the City of Hollister. “The pick-up and dropoff times at schools are a very busy time for parents; sometimes poor driving choices are made that can lead to a serious accident and serious injuries,” the police stated. “Hollister Police Department has identified serious traffic issues related to the dropoff and pick-up of children around the schools.”
UESUGI CABBAGE Napa Cabbage harvests, shown here in prior year, have been bountiful for Uesugi Farms.
Aiellos selling off HUGE SALE OF ITS FARMING EQUIPMENT IS UNDERWAY Barry Holtzclaw Managing editor
Uesugi Farms has harvested its last crops and sold its last pumpkin. The large, well-known, family-owned vegetable producer with operations in California—Santa Clara, Contra Costa, San
Benito and other counties—and Mexico, is selling off all of its equipment and “winding down” its operations. There will be no spring planting of its Napa cabbage, pepper, corn, squash and pumpkin crops. “Due to market conditions and factors outside of its control, Uesugi Farms has made the difficult decision to wind down its operations at the conclusion of the 2018 fall
harvest season,” the family said in a web posting this winter. Pete Aiello of Hollister, general manager of Gilroy-based Uesugi Farms, declined to comment. He has been general manager since 2002. His father, Joe Aiello, of Morgan Hill, bought Uesugi Farms from the original owners in 1979. “Uesugi’s priority is to maximize the value of its assets and implement
plans to work with customers, vendors, lenders, employees and others to obtain the best outcome possible for all its stakeholders,” said the web post. The sales effort began with letters that went out to select creditors, followed by advertisements in trade journals and local newspapers, including this newspaper. The sales flier distributed in the new year read
was headlined, “Farm equipment for sale by bank, 1020 State Highway 25 Gilroy, CA.” The flier included a link to a web listing for millions of dollars in farm equipment for sale, a total of 271 items. An advertisement published this week in this newspaper listed more than 150 pieces of farm equipment still for sale: ➝Uesugi, 13
Shutdown impacts local agriculture HOUSE MOVES TO EASE STRAIN ON FARMERS AND RANCHERS Staff Report
The House of Representatives passed a bill, 243-183, to reopen the Department of Agriculture— which runs the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as SNAP or
food stamps—as well as the Food and Drug Administration. .Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture will continue providing food stamps to millions of Americans through February, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced. House Democrats, including Reps. Zoe Lofgren and Jimmy Panetta, are taking action to reopen all government agencies by passing individual, bipartisan appropriations bills.
The partial government shutdown is putting at risk federal food assistance programs, including WIC, school breakfast and lunch programs, The Emergency Food Assistance Program (which funds food banks and food pantries), and SNAP, which ensures that millions of low-income Americans, including pregnant women, children, seniors, people with disabilities, college students and veterans, don’t go hungry. In addition, just as the CDC
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and FDA announced the end of the E. coli outbreak associated with romaine lettuce, and continued searching local farms to pinpoint a cause, furloughed FDA employees were unable to properly inspect food processing facilities. Panetta said, “We cannot prolong this shut down any longer. We must open up the government immediately so that the federal workers at the FDA, and ➝ Agriculture, 8