Letters to the editor

Monterey County Herald
Posted on May 20, 2007

Save agriculture

Voting yes on Measure A means land-use decisions in unincorporated areas of our county will need to be voted on by the entire county for the next 25 years.
Some say this will protect agriculture. I believe it will hurt the industry it's trying to save.

Agriculture is awaiting the outcome of research that will help us understand how pathogens come into the field and how we might destroy them. What if research finds a kill step but we must build more processing facilities in order to keep up with demand and keep our food safe? What if we need to build greenhouses to grow new crops, diversify our commodities and keep up with new trends? Neither of these things could be done without a countywide vote under the terms of Measure A.

By taking away the power of the growers and processors to work with the county, we're not taking care of our land. We're making it more difficult for growers to move with change and stay innovative. Please vote no on A. If we want to see rolling green fields in 25 years, agriculture must be able to adapt and change.

Abby Taylor-Silva
Salinas