Lompoc Valley Seed and Milling to close

Another iconic business in Lompoc Valley agriculture is getting ready to add its name to the history books with the announced closure of Lompoc Valley Seed and Milling in early Spring.

Lompoc Valley Seed and Milling has been at the heart of the dry bean and seed industry in the area for over 60 years, shipping product across the Central Coast, North America and the world.

Growing competition from overseas has slowly eaten away at Lompoc Valley Seed’s core business over the years.

The company’s famous pinquito beans and yellow beans are a favorite with locals who pick up bags of the freshly milled and cleaned beans at a small front office retail store on the Laurel Avenue property.

“The quality has been great”, said regular customer D.A. Taylor. “Their beans are tasty and as far as I’m concerned there are no other beans worth eating in the entire universe except for Lompoc pinquito beans.”

The pending closure of Lompoc Valley Seed and Milling is expected to affect less than 10 full time employees.

“In April maybe,” said longtime employee Enrique Molina. “Yeah we’re going to close, no more, no more beans.”

“This place been here for awhile already, and then they’re going to close it, I mean, it’s kind of sad, the history they have here,” said employee Antonio Magana.

The land on which the Lompoc Valley Seed and Milling facility sits is up for sale with a buyer said to be in the works.

The owner of the company could continue selling the famous pinquito and yellow beans from another location.

“I’m really sad to see them go,” Taylor said. “I would much rather buy my beans from these guys then get them in the grocery store where there’s a markup, these are just good people.”

Lompoc Valley Seed and Milling will join such names as Bodger Seed, Burpee and Denholm as once thriving Lompoc Valley agriculture businesses that are no more.