County Declares Disaster Area in Bid for More Aid

Herminda Ayala stood glaring at the package of fresh tortillas she had dropped on her kitchen floor as if staring down an enemy.

After picking strawberries for eight hours, she cringed at having to bend down yet again.

“Ayeeee, my back,� she groaned, slowly stooping to retrieve what she would eventually serve--along with homemade chicken soup--to her large family for dinner.

Since shortly before Christmas, Ayala and her fieldworker husband, Gilberto, have used food stamps and money borrowed from relatives to feed their eight children still at home and a year-old grandson. The family lives in a sparsely furnished, three-bedroom house in the La Colonia section of Oxnard.

But the Ayalas--and many of Ventura County’s 5,000 other fieldworkers who were idled by early winter’s bitter cold snap--may receive government assistance in their struggle to keep food on the table.

On Wednesday, Ventura County supervisors officially declared the county a disaster area, which paves the way for local fieldworkers to receive federal aid. The move is similar to efforts made in Fresno, Madera, Tulare, Kern, King and Monterey counties seeking to secure federal assistance for farm workers.

If Ventura’s declaration is approved by the state Office of Emergency Services and Gov. Gray Davis, it would then be sent to President Clinton for consideration, said Laura Hernandez, director of the county office of emergency services.

White House approval would open the door for farm laborers who lost work as a result of the freeze to apply for extended unemployment benefits, temporary housing or rental assistance, Hernandez said.

Workers would have to prove they are in the country legally before receiving extended unemployment benefits, said Eliza Chan, a spokeswoman at the Federal Emergency Management Agency in San Francisco.

“The proof could be a work permit or a letter from their employer,� she added.

Late last month, Ventura was one of 18 counties declared a federal disaster area, a decision that allowed farmers who sustained heavy losses to apply for low-interest loans.

At the urging of Supervisor John Flynn, the Board of Supervisors decided to seek federal relief for displaced workers, too. Flynn’s district--including Oxnard, Silver Strand, El Rio and surrounding areas--is home to nearly half of the county’s 20,000 farm workers.

The 69 disaster-related claims filed by fieldworkers to the county Employment Development Department represent perhaps hundreds of people--including their family members--who also need assistance, he said.

But the majority of those left jobless or who lost work after the pre-Christmas freeze most likely did not apply for unemployment benefits, Flynn said. If the county receives additional FEMA funds, Flynn said he will call for an aggressive outreach program so that Spanish-speaking farm workers can learn where and how to apply for aid.

Although the county’s $74.3 million in crop damage pales in comparison to the more than $500 million in devastation estimated in Fresno, Kern, Madera and Tulare counties, the local loss is serious because it represents nearly 8% of Ventura County’s total citrus and avocado industry, officials said.

“I feel like we have a good chance in getting the funding,� Flynn said Wednesday. “Mainly, if you look at the numbers, it looks that way.�

Eileen McCarthy, an attorney with the Oxnard office of California Rural Legal Assistance, said strawberries have also been affected by the Dec. 20-24 cold spell.

“All the focus has been on citrus and avocados, but I’m hearing from farmers and farm workers that there has been substantial harm to strawberries,� McCarthy said. “The plants are producing half of what they would normally be during this period. Because of the cold weather during December, the fruits are not ripening like they’re supposed to be, and there’s less fruit to pick.�

Gilberto and Herminda Ayala know this to be true. The couple have worked only about two days a week since strawberry-picking season began last month. In late December, the couple were unable to find work picking or packing lemons.

And business has plummeted at Bob’s Market on Cooper Street in La Colonia, where more than 80% of customers are farm workers, said Jaime Herrera, the owner’s son.

“Normally, strawberry season is our busiest time of the year,� Herrera said. “But the amount of business we’re getting is like it’s off-season. Definitely half of what we usually get this time of the year.�

Eduardo Valdovinos, a manager at Catholic Charities in Oxnard, said the number of clients seeking food, clothing, shelter and other aid has significantly increased since December, a trend he attributes in part to farm workers being left jobless by the weather.

Gilberto Ayala began working the fields at 17, a year before he married Herminda in Morelia, Michoacan, Mexico. Now 46, Ayala said he and his 44-year-old wife are barely making ends meet.

They have sought loans from his brothers to feed eight of their 12 children still living at home.

Ayala said he and his family would welcome the federal aid.

“This is a really hard life,� said Ayala, whose children range in age from 6 to 21. “I want more for my children. I want them to study. I don’t want them to go through this.�