After a California mountain wildfire caused more than $7 million in damages to Ventura County's agriculture and consumed over 12,000 acres of agricultural land, affecting nearly 100 producers, the county's agriculture entities and federal organizations joined forces to publicize the available assistance for growers and landowners affected.

The resources event, part of the agriculture recovery series organized by Ventura's Agriculture Commissioner, Korinne Bell, opened with Bell urging growers to inform both the Farm Service Agency and the county of the damages. "Locally, we're going to advocate for folks to get hay supplementation as we did after the Thomas fire. The county needs to have these numbers as well so that we can all work together; it's a collective," she said.

Bell noted that staff had to limit normal duties to be present at the local assistance centers. She explained that the latest ground truth survey now shows "a little over $7 million in agricultural damages, which we know is only a fraction of the affected acres," urging growers to return the assessment forms.

Bell also warned growers and workers about Valley Fever, a disease contracted by certain farm workers after the Thomas fire. To prevent an outbreak, she said the department had already contacted Public Health for guidance, and a supply of masks is available for growers at the Santa Paula office for distribution.

The Ventura County Resource Conservation District (VCRCD), an organization serving the unincorporated areas of Ventura County and fully funded by grants, highlighted existing projects that could help farmers and ranchers recover from the mountain fire. These projects typically reimburse farmers and ranchers for implementing specific conservation practices.

One initiative is a fire recovery project aimed at reducing future risks, including the Ventura Wildfire Resilience Planning Project and the Ventura County Wildfire Collaborative.

Organization members emphasized the importance of tracking losses, documenting fallen trees, recording animal deaths, and providing receipts of expenses to apply for grants.

Dave Ward, the county's Planning Director, discussed assistance available for those who lost properties or agricultural worker housing. He stated that the planning division had been present at the local assistance center to ensure temporary housing is available to property owners impacted by the fire.

Ward explained: "You could apply for a temporary housing permit to get yourself established on another property, with the property owner's consent, and then when the debris removal on your property has concluded, you could then move that unit back to your impacted property."

For farmworkers or caretaker units, he added, "We have the option of a temporary trailer for six months. After that, it allows for a 90-day extension."

"We'll be setting up recovery efforts with our planners to assist you with your ideas for rebuilding your primary residences or ag structures," Ward continued. "We're here to be a resource to you."

As for debris removal, the county is meeting with the Board of Supervisors this Friday to establish a local consolidated debris removal program. This program would allow the department to receive right-of-entry forms from the community, granting the county the authority to enter properties and remove burned structures and debris.

Bell also highlighted that trees standing after the fire might not show distress immediately, but fire impacts could affect growth and lead to death. She stressed the importance of informing officials if this occurs with any planted crops.

The events are ongoing, and this is just the beginning of the emergency response. The county urges growers and farmworkers to be patient and collaborate with officials so they can accurately assess the number of people affected and work with state and federal agencies to provide the necessary assistance.