Santa Barbara County to apply for grant to fund a mobile farmworker resource center

SANTA MARIA, Calif. -- The County of Santa Barbara is applying for a grant to fund a mobile farmworker resource center after the Board of Supervisors voted 4-1.

The grant for $833,000 will very competitive -- only 22 counties can apply and Santa Barbara is one of 10 counties in the second region of the state.

The grants will be split in three one for each region and the third for the second best in any of the two regions.

The Farmworker resource center can help farm workers with legal, healthcare, and translator resources.

One of the Board Supervisors from District 5, Steve Lavagnino told the Santa Maria times he does not want to work with the state and lose flexibility.

Lavagnino voted no for the application to be processed. If the county wins the grant, it must match $208,250 and after May 2024 must have an estimated $1.04 million to keep the program operating.

Lucas Zucker from the Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE) said a similar program in Ventura County has been highly successful.

Sucker said when the COVID-19 Pandemic hit the farmworker resources helped farmers get the translation and legal advice to speak to their employers about their sick leave rights.

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