Marchers Protest Proposed Quarry : Demonstrations: Ranchers and others gather to urge officials to reject Santa Clara Valley mining proposal.

Although just four of the protesters in the “Million Mad Farmers March” agreed to drape themselves in overripe lemons, nobody was crying sour grapes.

Fruit or no fruit, the dozen or so demonstrators at the Ventura County Government Center on Wednesday were going to juice their message for all it was worth: no new mines in the Santa Clara Valley.

“We don’t want big conglomerates raping our valley,” said John Lockhart of Fillmore, the public-relations agent and Fillmore resident who put together the march.

Lockhart, who had hoped that more of the protesters would wear produce to make their point, wore a lemon necklace over his suit.

The ranchers and residents marched to an environmental review meeting at the Government Center to put the squeeze on a proposed mining site.

Southern Pacific Milling Co. wants to mine 15 million tons of rock and gravel during the next 29 years on a scenic 129-acre orchard in Sycamore Canyon near Fillmore.

The company promises to reclaim the land after the rock and gravel, which would be used to make concrete and asphalt, are mined.

County officials are reviewing possible environmental impacts. But a recently completed study commissioned by the county is a sore spot for both concerned residents and Southern Pacific Milling executives.

Residents complain that the study underplays the likelihood that the mine will spoil the region’s air quality, water and rural ambience.

“Please don’t allow our valley to turn into just another dirty, ugly gravel pit,” said Fillmore Mayor Linda Brewster at the Wednesday meeting.

But Southern Pacific Milling executives insist that the study is too critical.

“It’s going to be a small operation with just four employees,” said Bill Berger, a company vice president.

Both are lobbying hard very early in the game: Final approval is in the hands of the Planning Commission, which probably won’t even discuss the issue until next year.

In addition, the committee of county officials reviewing the independent study Wednesday has little power over the project’s approval.

But that didn’t stop area residents from donning silly costumes and marching across Victoria Avenue to the Government Center after a hearty lunch of tacos and burritos.

Wendy Basil of Fillmore wore a black garbage bag covered with baby powder and an asthma inhaler around her neck. The garbage bag was what she thought of the environmental study, the powder and inhaler were representative of the dust she envisioned billowing from the mining operation.

“We Won’t Eat Their Dust,” her picket sign read.

Renee Cooper of Santa Barbara also wore a trash bag but with strings of ripe lemons lassoed around her.

“I eat lemons. I eat oranges. I love fruit,” Cooper said. To emphasize her point during the short march, she stomped on a lemon, turning it into lemonade. The message? Mining ruins fruit.

Kelly Everett of Santa Paula described her costume as “just fruit all over me.”

Although the juicy protesters raised a few eyebrows when they made a wrong turn toward the Hall of Justice, few in the Hall of Administration were impressed by their citrus-wear.

“I was looking for more fruit,” said county planner Julie Ward. “I thought they were going to be dressed as fruit. But that’s not what I saw.”