This year’s 2nd annual Strawberry & Justice Festival will take place at the farm on May 17. The event includes live music and organic fresh food and various activities intended to bring light to issues surrounding agriculture and social justice.

Watsonville, the hub of California’s strawberry industry for decades, faces a change with the advent of heightened pesticide regulations and health standards.

The California Department of Pesticide Regulation is reviewing the registration of a new pesticide for strawberry production called methyl iodide. Watsonville youth and community organizers oppose use of the new chemical, citing its detrimental health effects on adjacent school grounds and residential neighborhoods.

California State Assemblyman Bill Monning, along with Sen. Mark Leno, introduced a resolution last week urging the California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA) to require pesticide manufacturers to disclose inert ingredients in their products.