Marijuana Farm Found in Canyon Near Ojai

A sheriff’s pilot on routine patrol found a pot farm tucked into a canyon near Ojai that contained 662 high-grade marijuana plants, authorities said Saturday.

The discovery Friday morning is the second time in about a year that a major growing operation has been found in the rugged hills surrounding the small town.

“If all the marijuana had been harvested and sold at street-level prices, the minimum value could exceed $1.2 million,” Ventura County Sheriff’s Sgt. Bob Garcia said of the recent find.

A plantation found last fall contained 1,157 high-grade plants valued by authorities at more than $4 million.

Friday’s discovery was made in a remote area called Ladera Canyon, about three miles northeast of Ojai in Los Padres National Forest, authorities said.

After the pilot spotted the marijuana, detectives hiked Saturday to the site and found plants scattered throughout the canyon. They also found fertilizers, hand tools, clothing and food, Garcia said.

It appears the growers camped frequently at the location, and detectives also discovered evidence that firearms were kept at the site, Garcia said. No suspects had been arrested as of Saturday evening.

“The marijuana cultivation was well maintained and the plants were of a very good quality,” Garcia said. “The plants ranged in size from 2 feet to 6 feet and were ready for harvest.”

Detectives uprooted the plants and hauled them out of the canyon in a net carried by the sheriff’s helicopter.

A sheriff’s pilot on patrol was also responsible for finding the other big marijuana plantation last year.

That operation was discovered Sept. 18, 1998, in brush-covered terrain on Sulfur Mountain Road east of Ojai. At that site, deputies also found growing supplies and several bundles of processed marijuana ready for sale.

Since 1996, four major plantations of high-grade marijuana have been found around Ojai.

On Aug. 16, 1996, deputies found a marijuana farm worth $12 million north of Ojai near Wheeler Gorge Campground. And two weeks before that discovery, 5,500 plants were found deep inside Matilija Canyon.

Most marijuana crops are planted in April and harvested in September and October, authorities said.