CUDDLE UP: Product Cuddle, which aims to...

CUDDLE UP: Product Cuddle, which aims to put stuffed toys in the hands of children being helped by police officers in time of trouble, is targeting Ventura County this year. . . . The project, which began in 1990, has distributed thousands of the toys to police departments in eight states. The response this year has been good, said Cindy Calemmo, who’s coordinating the project locally. . . . “I’ve got a trunkful, a garage full and there’s some under my desk,” she said. For information on donating toys or money, call Calemmo at 654-7278.

ARTFUL BALANCE: Farmers often don’t expect to eradicate crop-munching insects, hoping merely to keep them in check. And that balance, achieved with pesticides and the use of “good bugs,” is always changing (B1). . . . If a ban on Mexican avocados is lifted, farmers fear the prospect of imported bugs. “We certainly don’t need any more [pests] introduced,” said David Buettner, a county agricultural official.

LABOR OF LOVE: Lynnette Chandler became regional coordinator of Children for Tomorrow, which recruits and registers bone-marrow donors, after her daughter was stricken with a rare blood disease nine years ago. Although her daughter never benefited from the program, 15-year-old Amanda’s health has stabilized. . . . Next up for the group is the eighth annual Give Kids a Chance concert from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at Freedom Park at the Camarillo Airport. Chandler hopes to test at least 700 people during the event. Call 987-6935 for more information.

FIGHTING FOR FARMS: George Johnson Jr. formed Save the Oxnard Plain to preserve the area’s dwindling farmland (B1). Johnson admits he has a tough road ahead--the Oxnard council has long been pro-growth. . . . But the 29-year-old surfer and environmentalist thinks he has no choice: “It just seems like we’re turning into L.A., and everyone has an aversion to that.”