SEEAG Receives $40,000 Grant to Establish Southbank Learning Farm in Oxnard
Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture (SEEAG) has received a $40,000 grant from AgWest Farm Credit to develop the 3.63-acre Southbank Learning Farm in Oxnard, California. This former senior nutrition farm, located behind Ventura County’s juvenile facilities, is being repurposed to grow food, provide agricultural education, and offer workforce development opportunities, particularly for justice system-involved youth. SEEAG operates the site under a 20-year social benefit lease with Ventura County and in partnership with the Ventura County Probation Agency. Once fully operational, the Southbank Learning Farm is projected to produce over 30,000 pounds of fruits, vegetables, and herbs annually, all of which will be donated to benefit justice system-involved youth, seniors, families facing food insecurity, and other nonprofit organizations throughout Ventura County. Over the 20-year lease, SEEAG anticipates producing approximately 600,000 pounds of food.