Rounding out the first month of the “Strong Cities | Strong State” campaign is the lovely City of Watsonville. Situated in the heart of the Monterey Bay area just 95 miles south of San Francisco, Watsonville lives by its motto: “opportunity through diversity; unity through cooperation.” Agriculture and food processing remain the mainstay of the Pajaro Valley, just as they were hundreds of years ago for the Costanoan Indian tribe.

Watsonville boasts several success stories:

• Riverside Mobile Home Park: In partnership with nonprofit South County Housing, Watsonville rebuilt mobile homes that had become dilapidated, improving quality of life for the residents.

• Watsonville Public Library: This 42,000-square-foot library doubles the size of the old library and includes a computer lab, California Agricultural Workers’ History Center, and Teen Space.

• Recycling Project: This project helps mitigate the over drafting of water supply aquifers and halts sea water intrusion, which adversely affects prime coastal agricultural land.

Read more, see photos, and connect with Watsonville on their profile here.