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TREASURES IN OUR COMMUNITY AG EDUCATION

Salinas Valley Regional Heritage Center June Produce

Summer is Here... Don’t Forget to Buy Local & Produce from California!
IF YOU HAVEN’T BEEN YET, GO! The Salinas Valley Regional
Heritage Center, formerly known as the Salinas Welcome Center, BY JYNEL GULARTE, RIVER RD.
is located next to the Salinas Train Depot and is, quite frankly, a
treasure for our community and for tourism to our region.
Sepia-toned picture postcards, portraits, and memorabilia
have been blown up to help tell the story of the mighty
Salinas Valley - the origins of its farm towns, the advent of
agriculture, and the opening of possibilities for fresh produce
to the rest of the world, as well as establish our identity as
the Salad Bowl to the World. Did you know that the Southern
Pacific Railroad first coined that name for our ag community?
Were you aware that it’s been carried forward to KSBW’s
name...Salad Bowl of the World?
Ask about how the name for Iceberg lettuce came to be...
there’s a story there! Learn how Salinas earned the rights to have
the train routed through the town rather than through Castroville.
There’s lots of great history and so many anecdotes that will
have you saying, “I didn’t know that!” Executive Director and
docent Craig Kaufman is a wealth of information and welcomes
all questions. He shares that the Heritage Center finalized plans
during the Covid pandemic and built the Center, which would
wait for the world to re-open. Since then, the Salinas Valley
Regional Heritage Center has welcomed scores of locals, school
children, clubs, tourists, and visitors through its doors. Howdy! It’s Jynel, your local farm friend. This month,
The Center showcases the creation of the regional economic There’s lots of great history and so I’m reminding you to shop the current list of USA-grown
development programs, but it also is aimed at expanding many anecdotes that will have you produce in season! Remember to check your labels and
regional tourism within the Salinas Valley. The Center is part support local and CA-grown products!
of the Heritage Park, which includes the Heritage Center saying, “I didn’t know that!”
inside the Southern Pacific freight Depot - the oldest surviving
commercial building in Salinas, the First Mayor’s House, the IN SEASON NOW – JUNE
Sophronia Harvey Education Center, The Steaming Ahead VEGGIES FRUIT
Historic Railroad Exhibit, the Monterey and Salinas Valley Basil Apricots
Railroad Museum, the Southern Pacific Depot Annex that Cabbage Avocados
includes the Friends of the Salinas Public Library sales site, and Heritage Park is now preparing for the expansion of the Carrots Blueberries
the Southern Pacific freight depot. commuter rail extension from Santa Clara County to Salinas Collards Cherries
in 2026. By creating points of destination that share our Corn Nectarines
communities’ stories, the goal is to inspire new opportunities Garlic Peaches
for economic growth through regional heritage tourism with Leeks Plums
minimal investment and eradicate the so-called “lettuce Lettuce Raspberries
curtain” that serves as a barrier to the development of inland Summer Squash Strawberries
tourism opportunities. Tomatoes
The Salinas Valley Tourism and Visitors Bureau 2024
Portfolio is an informational brochure that showcases
the bureau’s progress in developing regional economic
development programs through heritage tourism. If you’d like
to read it, please drop by the Salinas Valley Regional Heritage Jynel Gularte lives in the River Road
Center and ask for a copy... just don’t forget to enjoy the community and works for her family’s
amazing museum and bring your friends! local farm. She is excited to help spread
awareness about the agricultural way of
Salinas Valley Regional Heritage Center life in the Salinas Valley and the bountiful
1 Station Place, Salinas | 831.261.3430 produce that’s grown here.

44 June 2025 Greet HWY 68 Loop 45