With Halloween coming up, pumpkin hunting is on a lot of people's minds. They could go to grocery stores or big-box hardware stores, but with such an abundance of pumpkin patches in Santa Cruz County, sometimes the best option for families is to go straight to the source. After all, they will not only walk away with future jack-o'-lanterns but also everlasting memories.
When she turned from biologist to sociologist and human rights advocate 25 years ago, Ann Lopez realized how dire the situation was for humans born into a caste system that put them on a path toward what she considers to be agrarian slavery. COVID, climate change and affordability have worked against change, but that hasn’t slowed her fight for justice.