The Ventura County Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee, "APAC," schedules open meetings on the second Wednesday of each month.  APAC meetings start at 8:30 a.m. and are held at the Farm Bureau, 5156 McGrath Street in the City of Ventura.  Please confirm the schedule by calling (805) 933-2926 Ext. 228.  Meetings may be canceled or postponed from time to time.  Agendas are posted to this web site 3-7 days prior to each meeting.

APAC was first established by the Board of Supervisors in 1976.  The committee's responsibilities were revised in 1988 and again in 1996. 

Currently, each of the five elected Supervisors appoints one member of the agricultural community to serve on APAC.  Terms are at the discretion of each Supervisor.  The Agricultural Commissioner and Director of the University of California Extension Service for Ventura County are Ex-Officio Members.  A Senior Planner from the Agricultural Commissioner's Office provides staff services to APAC. 

The committee reviews Land Conservation Act Program applications, zoning and building regulations affecting agriculture, and all matters having direct, indirect and cumulative effects on the county's agricultural economy, including some individual projects.  Farmers and the general public may be heard at each meeting during Public Comments. 

On July 19, 2006, APAC adopted an Agricultural/Urban Buffer Policy to support Section 8109-0.4 of the Ventura County Non-Coastal Zoning Ordinance - Standards for the Protection of Agricultural Resources.  A copy of the Buffer Policy is accessible from this web site.  The Board of Supervisors has not codified the policy and its provisions are recommendations only.  The environmental effects of individual projects are evaluated under the Ventura County Initial Study Assessment Guidelines.  This document is accessible from the Planning Division's web page.  For more information, please contact the APAC staff Senior Planner at (805) 933-2926 Ext. 228. 

2008 Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee Members:

District 1    Roland Messori

District 2   Sanger Hedrick

District 3   Bob Pinkerton

District 4   Charles Schwabauer, Chairman

District 5   Tom Pecht