By Farm Bureau of Ventura County –
Ventura County’s record $2.4 billion in agricultural production value in 2025 masked a troubling reality: growers of several major crops spent more to produce them than they earned from their harvests, according to the Farm Bureau of Ventura County.
Strawberries, the county’s top crop, generated $807 million in gross revenue in 2025. However, estimated production costs exceeded that amount by $8 million. Lemons also showed negative returns, with production costs of $203.5 million compared with $181.7 million in gross revenue — a difference of $21.8 million.
Using production-cost data included in the county’s 2025 Crop & Livestock Report, the Farm Bureau estimates that net returns across Ventura County’s major agricultural commodity groups have declined approximately 80% since 2015.
“Ventura County agriculture still looks healthy from the road,” said Louise Lampara, CEO of the Farm Bureau of Ventura County. “The fields are planted, the orchards are green, the crops are growing. And that’s exactly the problem: the landscape is hiding what’s happening underneath it.”
Agricultural Commissioner Korinne Bell included production-cost estimates in the 2025 Crop & Livestock Report to provide additional insight into the industry’s financial health beyond gross production values. While the record $2.4 billion figure drew attention, the Farm Bureau says the cost data reveal a more challenging picture for growers.
The decline in farm returns has occurred even as countywide irrigated acreage has increased approximately 3% since 2015, according to the Farm Bureau. The organization argues that the issue is not simply the loss of farmland, but the shrinking amount of revenue farmers retain after covering production expenses.
“We didn’t lose ag land to a developer,” Lampara said. “We’re losing farming to policy. And the resulting economics show a spiraling collapse.”
The Farm Bureau points to rising production costs and policy pressures as concerns for the long-term viability of local agriculture. For more information, visit economicsoftheacre.org.
About the Farm Bureau of Ventura County
The Farm Bureau of Ventura County is a member-driven organization dedicated to promoting and protecting agriculture through advocacy, education and community engagement. It represents the interests of farmers, ranchers and agricultural businesses and works to support the long-term viability of agriculture throughout the county.
