Santa Barbara County farmers have rich, level agricultural lands; fertile native soils; and ample aquifers for irrigation. By growing smaller plants with higher yields and applying both traditional and state-of-the-art row-crop techniques — in-soil planting, drip-tape irrigation, plastic mulch, hoop houses and cover crops — Santa Barbara County growers can be responsible and profitable stewards of the environment.

We urge the Santa Barbara County Planning Commissioners and Board of Supervisors to promote and encourage agricultural best practices in cannabis farming that promote environmental sustainability, keep agricultural jobs in our county, and enhance both our local economy and tax revenues.

Irrigation
*North County Farmer's Guild recommends drip irrigation - dripping water at low rates where you need it and easily controlled to deliver nutrients to the soil to prevent runoff.

Plastic Mulch
Plastic mulch saves — and recycles — water.

*Plastic mulch film goes over the top of the beds and as the sun heats up the top of the beds, plastic mulch draws water up toward the surface — but instead of evaporating, the water hits the plastic mulch, condenses again and drips back down into the bed, trapping water.

Hoop Houses
*In addition to protecting cannabis plants from wind damage, hoop houses save water.

North County Farmer's Guild believes our best management practices minimize community impacts, protect the environment and promotes economic benefits, helping make cannabis farmers good neighbors, responsible stewards of the environment and drivers for local jobs and tourism.