Cuyama Valley Residents Continue Carrot Boycott Amid Groundwater Dispute

Despite Major Carrot Growers Withdrawing from Lawsuit, Other Entities Persist, Prompting Ongoing Protest

Residents of Cuyama Valley, California, have launched a boycott against carrot growers Grimmway Farms and Bolthouse Farms, accusing them of excessive groundwater usage.
The two companies, which are among the world's largest carrot growers, were part of a lawsuit filed in 2021 to determine groundwater allocations, causing small farmers and property owners to incur significant legal costs.
Despite Grimmway Farms and Bolthouse Farms recently withdrawing from the lawsuit, other entities that lease land to the growers remain as plaintiffs, prompting the continuation of the boycott.
Records indicate that the two carrot companies pumped more than 28,000 acre-feet of water last year, accounting for about 65% of all measured pumping reported to the local groundwater agency.
The Cuyama Valley is one of 21 groundwater basins that state officials have deemed 'critically overdrafted,' with plans to halt overpumping and stabilize groundwater levels by 2040.