Rep. Issa Holds Agriculture Roundtable

(SAN MARCOS, CA) – Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-50) recently convened farm industry leaders from throughout San Diego County to review their concerns and examine in detail the leading issues facing the area’s billion-dollar agriculture economy.

Rep. Issa met with a dozen leaders along with staff members of the San Diego County Farm Bureau at Reds Whites & Brews, a Ramona-based family-owned business showcasing area wine, craft brews and cider. Attendees included owners, operators, managers, and employees from many of the county’s prominent agricultural sectors.  Roundtable participants outlined the challenges facing San Diego County agriculture including the high cost of land, water, rising costs for state and local regulation and compliance, COVID recovery, and labor.

They also discussed how, despite these challenges, the region remains an agriculture leader among all counties in the nation: It is the number one producer of nursery crops and population of part-time farmers, and number two in farms with women as principal operator. The county is also home to approximately 5,000 farmers operating family-owned businesses on 250,000 total acres, which includes more small farms (less than 10 acres) than any other county in the nation.

“San Diego’s agriculture industry is a global powerhouse in so many unique fields, including wines, fruits, nuts, avocados, macadamias, nursery crops, and cut flowers,” Rep. Issa said. “County farmers, ranchers, and growers are a vital part of our regional economy and epitomize the type of multi-generational, family-owned and family-operated businesses that need our help and deserve a voice in the nation’s capital. I am honored to be their champion in Washington and will continue to lean on their expertise to work toward policy solutions that will ease their burdens and keep the industry healthy for decades to come,” Issa added.

To view photos of the meeting, click here.

Darrell Issa is the Representative of California’s 50th Congressional District. The district encompasses the central and northeastern parts of San Diego County and a portion of Riverside County, including the communities of Fallbrook, San Marcos, Valley Center, Ramona, Escondido, Santee, Lakeside, El Cajon, Temecula, and the mountain and desert areas of the San Diego-Imperial County line. Issa served as the Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform from 2011-2015.