Monterey County Earns Blue Zones Certification — A Big Win for Health and Community
When it comes to healthy living, you’re probably familiar with Blue Zones, those places around the world where people live longer, healthier lives and enjoy strong community ties, active lifestyles, and diets rich in fresh, wholesome foods.
That’s why it’s big news that Monterey County has become the first countywide project in California to achieve a Blue Zones Community® designation. It’s more than a colorful title—it’s proof that when entire communities commit to healthier choices, amazing transformations can happen. And it shows how strong partnerships between local organizations and businesses can make a real impact on public health.
Taylor Farms was honored to be a part of this initiative to help make this part of California that much healthier!
What’s the Blue Zones Project?
The Blue Zones Project is a nationwide effort inspired by the original Blue Zones regions (as identified by researcher and National Geographic Fellow Dan Buettner). The project takes lessons from those communities and spreads them across North America.
The project helps redesign the environment of a given community and encourages healthy habits across all parts of daily life, such as healthier grocery store checkouts, more walkable neighborhoods, restaurants with nutrient-packed options, workplaces with wellness policies, and schools where kids learn that well-being is part of daily life.
A Partnership Rooted in Health
The push to bring Blue Zones Project to Monterey County started with three key partners: Salinas Valley Health, Taylor Farms, and Montage Health.
Salinas Valley Health brought clinical expertise and deep community connections. Montage Health expanded the reach with programs that reimagined public spaces, influenced policies, and created long-term pathways for community wellness. And Taylor Farms teams infused the effort with a fresh-food mindset, championing healthy eating and access to nutritious produce. It’s been our honor to help make it possible to launch and sustain this ambitious effort.
For Taylor Farms, supporting Blue Zones wasn’t a stretch—it was a natural fit with our mission to produce healthy, fresh food. As Chairman and CEO Bruce Taylor explained:
“Producing healthy, fresh food and helping build a healthy and vibrant community are core to Taylor Farms. As one of Blue Zones Project’s local sponsors, we’ve proudly supported an initiative that aligns so closely with our mission. Seeing our county earn Blue Zones Community certification is a powerful reminder that when local organizations, businesses, and residents come together around well-being, we can create a healthier, more equitable future for all.”
How Monterey County Made It Happen
Since 2019, thousands of residents, local leaders, and volunteers have worked alongside these anchor partners to bring the Blue Zones framework to life. The results are impressive:
- More than 41,000 citizens took part in Blue Zones programs like walking groups, plant-based cooking demos, and purpose workshops.
- 70 worksites representing 14,000 employees adopted wellness-first policies.
- 64 schools launched gardens, daily movement programs, and “Walking School Bus” initiatives.
- 62 restaurants revamped menus with healthier, Blue Zones-inspired dishes.
- 14 grocery stores introduced healthy checkout lanes and CalFresh/SNAP-friendly produce programs.
- Over 196 new community policies were implemented to boost food access, create safer streets, and reduce tobacco use.
And the numbers tell the story: Monterey County’s overall well-being score rose by 3.7 points, with lower cholesterol rates, more residents exercising, and nearly $400 million in avoided health costs and lost productivity.
Why It Matters
Monterey County’s success shows what’s possible when health becomes a community priority. The partnership of Salinas Valley Health, Taylor Farms, and Montage Health proved that when healthcare, business, and community come together, they can create something bigger than any one organization could do alone.
