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SoCal Berry Growers plans to close six farms in Ventura County and lay off about 572 employees, most of them strawberry pickers, the New York Post reported Tuesday. The planned shutdowns would take place between January 11 and January 25, 2027, leaving hundreds of farmworkers facing the loss of their jobs early next year.
The company notified the Oxnard City Council in a letter dated October 31, according to the report. These are planned closures, not farms that have already shut down. The notice sets out a future timetable for the affected operations in Ventura and Oxnard.
The six farms grow strawberries for Driscoll’s. The reported closure plan concerns SoCal Berry Growers’ farms, not a shutdown of Driscoll’s itself.
Six farms and hundreds of harvest jobs
The New York Post identified the affected properties as Casper Ranch, Johansing Ranch, McConica Ranch, Parks Harbor Ranch, McGrath Conservancy Org. Ranch and Teitelbaum Ranch. For the workers who harvest the crop, the issue is the approaching end of employment at those locations, rather than a change in the brand on the fruit.
The Ventura County Star, which reported on the company’s notice, said the letter did not state whether SoCal Berry Growers owns other farms that would remain open. Its report also said company representatives did not respond to interview requests. The New York Post said it sought comment from the grower; its account did not include a company response.
The job losses are being planned against a difficult financial backdrop for the region’s growers. The Star reported that Ventura County strawberries generated $808 million in wholesale revenue in 2025, but growing costs exceeded that revenue by about $8 million countywide. That represents a collective loss of roughly 1%, not a measure of SoCal Berry Growers’ own finances.
Rising costs and stagnant sales have put pressure on the industry, the reports said. Farm Bureau of Ventura County CEO Louise Lampara told the Star that businesses could not continue indefinitely with declining returns. The regional figures help explain the pressure on farming, but do not establish why this company chose to close these six properties.
Union disputes the plan as workers face January deadline
The planned shutdowns follow the workers’ July decision to join the United Farm Workers. According to the Star, SoCal Berry Growers challenged the unionization petition, alleging union misconduct, but the California Agricultural Labor Relations Board rejected that challenge on August 6 and affirmed the petition.
UFW Vice President Roman Pinal alleged that the closure plan was a response to the union vote and an effort to avoid negotiating a contract. He said the union would use legal options to defend its members. That is the union’s allegation, not a finding that the planned closures are unlawful or proof of the company’s motive. The grower’s response to the closure allegation was not included in the reports.
For affected employees, the next practical questions are the timing of their last workdays and what job-search or training help will be available. California’s Employment Development Department says covered employers generally must give at least 60 days’ written notice before a qualifying mass layoff or facility closure. Its guidance also describes Rapid Response help with job searches, training and understanding unemployment benefits.
The state guidance says notices must explain whether the employer plans to coordinate worker services and include local workforce-board contact information. The reports reviewed do not establish which services have been arranged for these workers. With the January closure window still ahead, the company’s implementation of the plan and the union’s promised response remain the next developments to watch.
JBizNews Desk | Ventura County
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