Central Coast Agriculture

High quality annual artichokes are produced in the Lompoc Valley.

The central coast is an ideal location for the year-round production of edible pod peas.

Late season bell peppers being harvested in Lopez Canyon.

Napa (Chinese cabbage) and Pak Choy variety trial. These two crops are important segments of a larger year-round vegetable production system.

Field harvesting celery - approximately 5000 acre crops on the central coast.

Celery transplanting - most cool season vegetables are now transplanted allowing more crops per acre per year.

Central Coast Overview

The Central Coast includes parts of San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. Vegetable production in this area occurs in a number of coastal valleys drained by streams that flow directly into the Pacific Ocean.

These small valleys provide unique climatic niches and soil types which are ideal for the year round production of many fruits, vegetables and seed crops. Of the valleys, the Oxnard Plain, the Lompoc and Santa Maria Valleys, the Oceano Plain and Lopez Canyon constitute the largest production units. These areas plus other smaller valleys comprise about 150,000 acres of prime farmland.

This region has also come-of-age as a premium wine grape production area and approximately 41,000 acres of rolling hills mainly in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties are now planted to grapes.

The Oxnard Plain produces most of the celery grown in California, Other crops include dry beans, strawberries, onions, bell and chile peppers and a variety of cool season leafy vegetables. The Lompoc Valley is still home to a large flower seed production industry as well as an area for field grown cut flowers, plus broccoli, cauliflower, dry beans, lettuce, celery and annual artichokes. The Santa Maria valley produces year round broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, Oriental vegetables, plus spinach, parsley, cilantro, other leafy greens and edible pod peas. Warm season crops include bell peppers, tomatoes, potatoes, sweet corn, dry and green beans and summer squashes. This same vegetable mix extends into the Oceano-Lopez Canyon area.

Vegetable production constitutes a $175,743.000¹ industry in San Luis Obispo County, a $328,620,574¹ industry in Santa Barbara County and a $296,839,000² industry in Ventura County.

¹ Year 2000 Agricultural Commissioner's Report
² Year 1999Agricultural Commissioner's Report