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SANTA BARBARA, CA — On July 19th, U.S. Representative Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24), a member of the House Agriculture Committee, hosted the Committee’s Ranking Member Angie Craig (D-MN-02) in Santa Barbara and Carpinteria. The lawmakers organized roundtable discussions with local farmers, agriculture groups, community associations, and government officials to discuss wildfire prevention, federal support for specialty crops, farm automation, and more. Download photos here.
“I was honored to welcome Ranking Member Craig to the Central Coast for productive conversations with our local agricultural community and stakeholders focused on wildfire prevention,” said Rep. Carbajal. “The Central Coast is one of our nation’s agricultural powerhouses, but it’s not immune to the challenges posed by climate change and macroeconomic conditions. That’s why Ranking Member Craig and I held a series of roundtable discussions with local farmers, agriculture groups, community associations, and government officials. We talked about collaborative solutions for mitigating wildfires and other environmental threats, while exploring opportunities for the federal government to help ensure Central Coast agriculture remains globally competitive.”
“I thank Representative Carbajal for inviting me to California’s 24th Congressional District to meet with stakeholders from across the forest management and specialty crop sectors. It is always valuable to hear directly from specialty crop producers, and it was particularly eye-opening to learn from the experiences of wildfire experts on the ground – as firefighters battle three wildfires burning in northern Minnesota. I will lean on their insights as we continue searching for a path forward for the farmers left behind by the Republican budget. The conversations I had with folks today reflected an urgent need for congressional oversight of the USDA – whose mass layoffs have left communities vulnerable as we enter peak wildfire season – and investments in programs that support the specialty crop farmers who feed our families,” said Ranking Member Angie Craig.
Carbajal and Craig held their first roundtable at the Santa Barbara Botanical Gardens, where they discussed wildfire prevention for the Los Padres National Forest and surrounding communities. The group explored proactive measures — such as fuels management, community education, interagency coordination, and infrastructure resilience — to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires. Policies and partnerships that safeguard lives, property, and landscapes along the Los Padres forest boundary and beyond are critical.
The roundtable’s participants included representatives from: the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, Los Padres National Forest, Santa Barbara County Fire Department, Santa Barbara City Fire, Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors, Santa Barbara Fire Safe Council, Mission Canyon Association, Montecito Association, Cal Poly Wildfire, Los Padres Forest Watch, and Project for Resilient Communities.
The second roundtable was held at Reiter’s Peak-Flynn Ranch in Carpinteria, where the group discussed the unique nature of Central Coast agriculture, research in mechanization, the federal specialty crop block grant program, labor shortages, trade, and more.
The roundtable’s participants included representatives from: Reiter Affiliated Companies, Santa Barbara County Flower & Nursery Growers Association, California Avocado Commission, Grower-Shipper Association of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties, Santa Barbara County Agricultural Advisory Committee, California Farm Bureau, Santa Barbara County Farm Bureau, Ventura County Farm Bureau, and Santa Barbara County Agricultural Commissioner.
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