Episode Overview
From Feed Stores to Food Security
Karen Bell’s journey back to agriculture wasn’t straightforward. A Santa Paula native with deep ranching roots and a business degree from Cal Poly, she started her career managing her family’s feed stores before becoming a teacher—and eventually, Ventura County’s Agricultural Commissioner. In this episode, she shares how her upbringing, education, and early career shaped her mission to protect and promote local agriculture.
What Does an Ag Commissioner Actually Do?
Karen breaks down the often misunderstood role of the county ag commissioner—from pesticide safety enforcement and food export inspections to checking plant shipments at FedEx and monitoring gas pumps. It’s a job that touches everything from global trade to local farmers markets.
Protecting Farmers, Consumers, and the Food Chain
We dive into the delicate balancing act of supporting farmworker safety, protecting consumers, and ensuring environmental compliance—while helping farmers stay economically viable. Karen explains why local oversight matters, and how Ventura County became home to the most robust pesticide enforcement program in the state.
A Crisis Within Weeks: Pest Quarantines and Emergency Response
Just weeks into her tenure as commissioner, Ventura County was hit with two major pest outbreaks: Huanglongbing(HLB), the deadly citrus disease, and a historic first for North America—the Queensland Fruit Fly. Karen shares how her team responded to backyard infestations, coordinated quarantines, and worked with the USDA and CDFA to protect local farms from catastrophic loss.
The Urban-Agriculture Interface
Karen explains the growing challenge of farming next to suburban neighborhoods—from complaints about dust and noise to federal pesticide buffer requirements. She discusses how Ventura County’s unique half-urban, half-agricultural geography complicates farm operations—and how her office helps navigate those tensions.
Right to Farm and a Future for the Next Generation
With profit margins shrinking, Karen calls out the “death by a thousand cuts” facing local growers: rising regulatory costs, global competition, labor shortages, and inflexible land use rules. She discusses the importance of preserving not just ag land, but ag viability—including letting the next generation live on and manage their own farms.
A County Worth Fighting For
Despite the challenges, Karen remains optimistic. From world-class soil and year-round growing to a supportive Board of Supervisors and strong collaboration among ag leaders, she sees Ventura County as one of the last, best places for farming in California. Her message is clear: what we have is worth protecting, and we need to evolve policy and public awareness to make sure farming survives.
