A lot can change in 25 years, vote ‘no’ on Measure A

Posted on May 23, 2007

By ABBY TAYLOR SILVA

While the community of Monterey County debates land use measures in preparation for the June 5 vote, I can’t help but think about all that can change in 25 years. If we vote “yes” on A, any land use decisions in unincorporated areas of our county will need to be voted on by the entire county for the next 25 years. While those promoting Measure A say this will protect agriculture, I believe it will actually hurt the industry it’s trying to save.

Twenty-five years ago, my family was growing sugar beets and tomatoes in San Ardo. The sugar beets went to Spreckles, the tomatoes to California Canners and Growers. As time went on, the sugar plant closed and California Canners and Growers disbanded. My family transitioned, growing peppers, lettuce and broccoli, and later sold their land. As the years went on, the land adjacent to theirs filled in with vineyards in response to increased demand for California wine.

In the early to mid-1990s, lettuce and broccoli growers found new markets for their product through value-added packaging. New processing plants were
built to accommodate these changes. Today, you can buy your salad in a bag that includes dressing and croutons, and your broccoli in a bag that when placed in the microwave on high for four minutes, will produce a perfectly steamed meal.

Today, many of the wines we drink are made with grapes from Monterey County. Some are even bottled here.

A lot has changed in only 25 years and the agricultural industry has had the ability to adapt, remain innovative and create thousands of new jobs.

The local agricultural industry is on the brink of many new changes. With food safety at the forefront we are eagerly awaiting the outcome of research that will help us understand how pathogens like E. coli come into the field and how we may implement a way to destroy pathogens while keeping our leafy greens
fresh. There are many unknowns, and by passing Measure A, we’re only hindering our ability to adapt as an industry.

What if a grower needs to replace their water wellhead to ensure their water source is safe? Depending on how you interpret Measure A, this may require a countywide vote.

What will happen 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 will happen if we need to build greenhouses to grow new crops, diversify our commodities and keep up with new trends?

None of these things could.