Assembly and Senate leaders heard directly from farmers in Ventura County who are innovating and succeeding, and discussed ways to support workers and deliver solutions that continue to uplift the agricultural sector
On Tuesday, November 18, 2025 Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas joined Senate President Pro Tem Monique Limón, California Farm Bureau President Shannon Douglass, Assembly Agriculture Committee Chair Esmeralda Soria, Assemblymembers Steve Bennett and Avelino Valencia, and Senator Henry Stern and Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Melissa Hurtado at a Southern California avocado farm, discussing how the state can continue to support farmers and agricultural innovation as federal policies threaten farmworkers and grocery costs.
During the visit to Chris Sayer’s Petty Ranch in Ventura County, lawmakers heard directly from local farmers and Farm Bureau leaders about opportunities and challenges. They discussed impacts of federal policies on their workforce and operational costs, as well as how farms are partnering with community groups to provide educational workshops and improve food security.
California agriculture relies heavily on a stable and reliable workforce. When federal immigration actions target farmworkers or create economic uncertainty, farmers struggle to retain the labor necessary to keep operations running — a disruption that quickly reverberates throughout the economy.
This has cascading impacts to consumers: Average grocery prices are 2.7 percent higher than this time last year.
In their recent New York Times opinion article Speaker Rivas and Farm Bureau president Douglass highlighted these risks, citing the impact of federal ICE raids on agriculture producers and food costs.
Ventura County has been uniquely impacted by federal immigration enforcement efforts. In recent months, dozens of farmworkers throughout Ventura County have been taken by ICE agents. Large-scale immigration raids at packinghouses and fields in California hurt the farmers who supply much of the country’s food, and create fear that prevents farmworkers from showing up to work.
“Farming is tough work, and California’s crops help feed the nation. The White House should be backing that effort — not driving up food prices by going after farm workers and grinding production to a halt,” Speaker Robert Rivas said. “If Trump keeps attacking our farms, prices will only climb higher.”
“The immigration raids our state has experienced over the last six months have spread terror in our communities, upended whole families, and now they are taking a toll on our economy,” said California State Senate Leader Monique Limón. “Farms are experiencing labor shortages, unharvested crops, and significant losses in production. It is critical that we work together to support our farmworkers to ensure this vital industry can continue to feed the state and our nation. Thank you to Speaker Rivas, my legislative colleagues, and Ventura Farm Bureau for coming together today to collaborate on protecting our agricultural workers and industry.”
“California Farm Bureau values its ongoing dialogue with legislators to tackle the regulatory challenges facing farmers and ranchers,” said Shannon Douglass, president of the California Farm Bureau, which represents more than 23,000 farmers and ranchers statewide. “These complex issues directly affect the sustainability of agriculture in California. By meeting with farmers where they live and work, our representatives gain a clearer understanding of the real, on-the-ground impacts of these policies and what’s at stake for rural communities across the state. We thank all who participated in today’s tour for their commitment to protecting the future of farming and ranching in California.”
“If our top priority continues to be tackling affordability, then there should be no question: we MUST protect our California farmworkers,” said Assembly Agriculture Chair Esmeralda Soria (D-Merced). “The majority of our state’s agricultural workforce is undocumented, and nearly two-thirds are immigrants of any status. Without undocumented workers, GDP generated by California’s agriculture industry would contract by 14%. As the nation’s breadbasket, we simply cannot afford to suffer more disruptive raids against the workforce of our state’s Ag economy.”
“Beginning with the fatal July 10th raid, the fabric of trust, safety and productivity that has been a hallmark of Ventura County has been undermined. The vast majority of our community, including farmworkers and farmers know these raids go far beyond picking up violent felons. We know they are designed to spread fear and unrest, setting the pretext for the militarization of domestic life in America. All of us who are peaceful, productive contributors to our community need immigration reform not immigration bashing and intimidation tactics. When due process and humane treatment is denied to any of us, it is denied to all of us,” said Assemblymember Steve Bennett (D-Ventura).
“Growing up, my family owned a small grocery store, so I learned early on how every shelf depended on the hands of farmworkers who plant, pick, and pack our food. Over 80% of our hired farmworkers are immigrants, and their work is essential. Without these farmers and workers, our fields go unharvested, our economy suffers, and families face higher food costs. Together with my colleagues, we will work to ensure California’s farms stay strong, our economy grows, and the nation continues to be fed,” said Assemblymember Avelino Valencia (D-Anaheim).
“It was absolutely incredible to be able to share SEEAG’s mission with such a distinguished audience. The ability to put agricultural and food literacy education on this level of a platform is really rare, and I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to have done so and to be able to share what we’re doing and how we’re impacting the community —and how communities grow more sustainably and more resilient when we’re connected to food.” said Caitlin Case, Executive Director of SEEAG, the local nonprofit that partners with Petty Ranch to provide hands-on education to Ventura’s youth.
California is by far the largest food producer in the United States. Over one-third of the country’s vegetables and over three-quarters of the country’s nuts and fruits are grown in California — with immigrants making up 62% of workers in this industry.
In California, all immigrants, including those who are undocumented contribute more than $1 trillion in economic output — nearly one-third of the state’s total output.