SoCal Berry Growers announces closure of six California farms

California-based SoCal Berry Growers has shared plans to close six strawberry farms in Oxnard and Ventura counties. The company announced the decision in a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) letter on October 31, as required by state law. It will effectively terminate 572 jobs between January 11 and 25.

The company supplies strawberries to Driscoll’s through an arrangement involving independent growers. The global berry giant confirmed the closures to Fruitnet, expressing concern about the impact on the regional agricultural sector and the affected workforce.

“It’s a difficult day for California agriculture when a family farming business that has spent decades supporting livelihoods and contributing to the agricultural heritage of the Central Coast decides to close its farms,” a company spokesperson told the outlet. “We have worked with these independent growers for decades, and we’ve valued their immense contribution to the industry.”

Rising costs squeeze strawberry growers

The closures come amid mounting financial pressure on California strawberry producers, particularly in Ventura County, where the crop remains the leading agricultural commodity by value.

According to the county’s 2025 Crop and Livestock Report, strawberries generated approximately $808 million in wholesale revenue. However, production costs reached approximately $815 million, resulting in an industry-wide loss of about $7 million.

Photo by Natasha Skov via Unsplash

Driscoll’s attributed the difficulties to a combination of unfavorable weather and economic pressures affecting growers across the state.

“This is an especially difficult year for the berry sector and California agriculture broadly,” the company spokesperson said. “Growers throughout the state have faced unprecedented headwinds, from poor weather conditions to significant economic pressures.”

Rising expenses for water, labor, fuel, fertilizer, and regulatory compliance have contributed to the pressure on growers, while revenues have struggled to keep pace with inflation.

Ventura County Agricultural Commissioner Korinne Bell told local media outlet The Ventura County Star that the closure did not surprise her given the sector’s financial performance.

"You can only operate at a loss for so long," she said.

Louise Lampara, CEO of the Farm Bureau of Ventura County, also warned about the industry's economic outlook.

"We are at a precipice in Ventura County," Lampara told VC Star. "The ag economics are horrifying. No industry can continue if year after year after year you're seeing decreasing returns."

Bell expects rising input costs and unfavorable winter weather conditions to leave more farmland fallow in the county. She also anticipates lower agricultural revenue in the 2026 crop report.

Union vote precedes closure announcement

The planned shutdown follows a successful unionization campaign at SoCal Berry Growers in July, when employees voted to join the United Farm Workers (UFW), VC Star also reported.

The effort marked a rare development, as less than one percent of the county's agricultural workforce belongs to a union, according to the Ventura County Agricultural Association.

Photo by Massimiliano Martini via Unsplash

SoCal Berry Growers initially challenged the petition, alleging misconduct by the UFW. However, on August 6, the California Agricultural Labor Relations Board rejected the company's challenge and upheld the petition.

The UFW believes the planned closures are connected to the union vote and has accused the company of seeking to avoid its obligations to workers.

“Instead of giving the workers a chance to negotiate a fair contract, SoCal management is now saying it will shut down, in what we believe is a clear violation of the law to avoid their legal and moral obligations to the workers who pick the strawberries,” UFW Vice President Roman Pinal said in a statement to the Ventura County Star. “The UFW is familiar with these tactics and will utilize all legal options to defend our members’ rights.”

The company has not publicly explained the reasons for the closures, and no confirmed connection between the unionization effort and the shutdown has been established.

Further uncertainty for the regional industry

The announcement adds to a series of setbacks for Ventura County's berry sector. In 2016, Oxnard-based Mandalay Berry Farms announced its permanent closure, affecting 565 employees. Dole also shut down a berry cooling facility in Oxnard and reduced its local operations.

California produces close to 90 percent of the strawberries grown in the US, according to the California Strawberry Commission's 2025 report. The Golden State's production depends on hundreds of family-run farms, making the financial sustainability of independent growers an important issue for the wider supply chain.

“These closures will affect far more than the farms themselves. Our thoughts are with the farmworkers whose livelihoods will be affected, their families, and the broader communities that have depended on these operations and taken pride in their contributions for generations,” the Driscoll’s spokesperson said.

*Main photo by Petra Reid via Unsplash

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