​From soil and science to the status quo, 2025 Oxnard Leadership digs into Agriculture Day

Oxnard Leadership Program's 2025 Agriculture Day on Friday, July 25, was a powerful reminder of how essential the industry is to the region's vitality as are the hard-working people who drive it forward. Coordinated by 2023 OLP Alumnus Jordan Cruz (Customer Quality Coordinator at Bayer Crop Science), the session featured speakers from SEEAG (Students for Eco-Education & Agriculture), Petty Ranch, Farm Bureau of Ventura County, and Bayer Crop Science, and a riveting panel discussion about recent immigration raids and the impact on farmworkers. 

The day kicked off at Petty Ranch in Saticoy, an avocado farm that houses SEEAG's educational Farm Lab. Executive Director Caitlin Paulus Case gave an overview of their history, mission and plan to revitalize 6.2 acres of farmland in Oxnard, formerly known as the Senior Nutrition Farm. She also highlighted their First Annual Summer Celebration fundraiser that will support this exciting project. Then, Director of Education Operations Seth Wilmoth (2024 OLP Alumnus) gave the cohort a crash course in their free Farm-to-Food Lab program, where students (third through 12th grade) dive into water, plant, and soil science activities. 

Next up was 5th generation farmer Chris Sayer, manager of Petty Ranch, his family's 50-acre avocado farm. He explained their decision to focus solely on avocados a few years ago (lemons were the primary crop), how they experiment with growing different varietals of avocados, and some  challenges of daily farm life (such as coyotes biting irrigation hoses). ​

Then the 2025 cohort drove to Bayer Crop Science's Oxnard headquarters where they were met by  Maureen McGuire, Chief Executive Officer of Farm Bureau of Ventura County. She gave a terrific overview of the farm bureau system, the top areas of focus and challenges for Ventura County, their educational programs for farmers and workers, and tech innovation in the industry. During the Q&A, she addressed recent activity and raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and the impacts on local workers, food supply and the industry. Agriculture contributes over $2.3 billion annually to Ventura County’s economy.

After lunch, the cohort got an insider's tour of Bayer Crop Science from session coordinator Jordan Cruz and current cohort member Paola Pomeroy, Engagement Specialist at Bayer. They got to see how seeds are processed and shipped around the world, and stopped at the greenhouse where some seeds are sprouted before being sent to farmers. Each person had the opportunity to take home zucchini and cucumber plants. Following the tour, Bayer Site & Plant Lead Marijke Daamen gave a thought-provoking presentation to deepen everyone's understanding of agriculture on a global perspective. 

The session ended on a serious subject: recent immigration raids and the impact on farmworkers. With the July 10 Glass House Farms raids still fresh on everybody's minds, WVCBA President and CEO Andy Conli facilitated a compelling panel discussion with Fabian Cruz, Manager of Southland Sod Farms; Roman Pinal, National Vice President of United Farm Workers; and Israel Vasquez, Coordinator of the County of Ventura's Farmworker Resource Program. The conversation touched on immigration reform, farmworker workplace issues and resources, and ways for community members to help or get involved. It was a candid, open dialog and meaningful way to end the day with some cohort members also sharing their personal stories and reactions to current events. 

The next session of the Oxnard Leadership Program will be held on Friday, August 22, and include tours of the Naval Base Ventura County - Port Hueneme and the Port of Hueneme. 

The application window for the 2026 program will open in early September. Sign up for updates here>>