Image Campaign for Agriculture Debated

A state plan to charge farmers for a multimillion-dollar campaign to improve the agriculture industry’s image is scheduled for debate in Ventura today.

The plan would call for a 39-member board to spend approximately $8 million on a variety of education programs about California agriculture.

The program would be funded with a $1 tax on every $2,000 that farmers receive in revenue, according to the proposal.

The proposal, which has been discussed for several years, must still be approved by Henry Voss, the state’s secretary of food and agriculture.

In an attempt to gauge whether farmers favor the plan, Voss called for a series of six public hearings to be held across the state, the last of which will be held in Ventura.

Up until now, there has been little discussion of the issue in Ventura, said Rex Laird, executive director of the Ventura County Farm Bureau.

“I’m concerned that not many farmers know about the proposal,” Laird said. “I don’t want people to find out about it when they receive their first assessment.”

Laird said the bureau does not have a position on the plan, but encouraged farmers to attend Friday’s session.

“They need to get in there and tell (Voss) what they want,” he said.

The meeting begins at 9 a.m. at the Ventura County Fairgrounds, Gem and Mineral Building, 10 W. Harbor Blvd., Ventura.