Santa Cruz County Farmers and Small Businesses Brace for Economic Impact of Proposed Cuts to Federal Nutrition Program

Threatened SNAP reductions could destabilize local agriculture, jeopardizing thousands of jobs, and increasing hunger for working families across the region.

Watsonville, CA (June 9, 2025) ) – The Pajaro Valley Collaborative will host a press conference on June 9th, 2025, sharing the latest about the proposed federal cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), known as CalFresh in California, and the drastic effect on farms, the local economy, and the well-being of families that count on SNAP, if enacted. 

“Santa Cruz County farms vary in size, crop, and background—but they share one critical truth: they rely on stable markets, consistent labor, and policies that protect the people and systems that keep them running,” said Peter Navarro, Berries, First VP, Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau. “Each year, farming brings in more than $650 million in direct production value to Santa Cruz County. If these cuts to SNAP go through, more fields will go unplanted, more food will go unharvested, more family farms will go under, and more working families will go hungry.” 

“The House has passed a plan slashing $300 billion from SNAP — the largest cut in the program’s history — which would have devastating effects on our community,” shared Erica Padilla Chavez, CEO, Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County. “These cuts would harm over 33,000 neighbors in our county, many in the Pajaro Valley, who depend on CalFresh to put food on the table.”

WHAT: Press Conference about Impact of Proposed Federal Cuts to SNAP for Santa Cruz County Farmers and Families 

WHEN: Monday, June 9, 2025, 11 AM

WHERE: Second Harvest Food Bank, 800 Ohlone Pkwy, Watsonville, CA 95076 

WHO:

Speakers will include:

•  Erica Padilla Chavez, CEO, Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County 

•  Tony Nuñez, Communications Manager, Community Bridges 

•  Peter Navarro, First VP, Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau 

•  Lucy Casillas, Owner, El Valle Produce 

•  Doron Comerchero, Executive Director, FoodWhat

  
  

INTERVIEWS:  Interviews will be available directly following the speakers’ remarks, in both English and Spanish.

PRIMARY MEDIA CONTACT: Perla Rodriguez, perla@volersa.com, Cell: (669) 360-0883 

SECONDARY MEDIA CONTACT:  Despina Rieke, Second Harvest Food Bank, despina@thefoodbank.org, Cell: (831) 251-3489

About Pajaro Valley Collaborative: 

The Pajaro Valley Collaborative (“PVC”) is a collaboration of 26 nonprofit partner organizations strategically aligned to advance positive outcomes throughout the Pajaro Valley with a priority emphasis on improving health and wellness, economic mobility, and civic engagement.

Partner organizations commit leadership, organizational resources, staff, and time at various levels to address joint priorities. Having responded to public health emergencies and other disasters, including the COVID-19 pandemic and severe flooding, the PVC partners are collectively committed to evolving beyond crisis management to form a permanent collaboration to support health and wellness, economic mobility, and civic engagement in the Pajaro Valley.

For more information visit: https://www.pvcollaborative.org/about