Dozens of people gathered Tuesday to weigh in on farmworkers’ rising cost of living and whether Santa Barbara County should increase wages to $26 an hour.

An advisory committee of Third District Supervisor Joan Hartmann and First District Supervisor Das Williams heard from farmworkers and advocates, who are pushing for a higher minimum wage and better working conditions, and agricultural company owners, who are opposed to a $26 hourly minimum wage.

The meeting was informational, with no formal action taken, and the committee eventually will make recommendations to the full Board of Supervisors.

One of the supporters of a higher hourly wage was Daniel Segura-Esquivel, an organizer for the Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy, or CAUSE. Segura-Esquivel explained the main issues that farmworkers face today, including low pay and the high risk of injury.

Segura-Esquivel explained that many workers struggle to make rent and pay for everyday groceries.

He added that farmworkers are constantly at risk of injury compared to other professions. The issue has become so bad that many workers are leaving for higher-paying jobs in construction, manufacturing or truck driving.

When questioned by Williams, Segura-Esquivel said that workers leaving for other jobs could have long-term issues for the agricultural industry of Santa Barbara County.

“We’re looking at the retention issue of our workforce locally in our largest economy,” Segura-Esquivel said.

During public comment, farmworkers shared their stories of how low wages have affected them.

Oscar Sanchez, who works on a farm, shared the struggle of living on low wages and trying to provide for his family. He explained that babysitters for his kids charge rates of $25 to $30 an hour, which is more than the $16 hourly wage he makes.

He also described of the long hours of work. He told the committee about his boss forcing employees to continue working in heavy rains, even when the water was up to their knees.

“That is why we’re here, dear supervisors, for you to touch your own heart and make an ordinance to raise the wage to $26 an hour,” Sanchez said through an interpreter.

Other speakers expressed opposition to the wage increase, saying that growers cannot raise prices to cover an increase in pay.

AJ Fairbanks, who works in the wine industry, said his role is usually to look at data and explain them to vintners.

During his comments, Fairbanks said that the amount of revenue that wine growers bring in is not enough to cover the increase to $26. He pointed out that there were 21,000 grape-bearing acres in 2016, but the county is down to 11,000 acres.

“I don’t mean to sound hyperbolic here, I really don’t, but we’re facing extinction,” Fairbanks said.

After hearing from presenters and the public, Hartmann and Williams thanked the speakers for sharing their stories and testimonies.

Even though the supervisors did not state what actions they would take to address the concerns of the public, they did say they would be taking the information back to the board for review.

In his final comments, Williams said that he hoped action would involve a wage increase, but it is not the only option.

Instead, Williams expressed his support for paving the way for more housing in the county and for farms — something farm owners and opponents of the wage increase asked for as an alternative to the pay raise.

“I think farmworker housing is a desperate need out there because such a large proportion of the cost of living is housing,” Williams said.

Williams added that there may be a decrease in immigration in the next few years.

Experts Share Income, Health Stats for Farmworkers

Earlier in the meeting, the supervisors heard from experts who study the agricultural industry and the people who keep it running.

One of the speakers included Jennifer Cossyleon, an associate research professor at the UC Merced Community and Labor Center. Her work covers academic and policy research on poverty and inequality, housing, race and gender, social movements, and employment.

In her comments, Cossyleon explained the connection between health and a person’s everyday living situation. One of the biggest factors is financial instability, the chemicals they breathe and access to education.

In studying conditions for workers, researchers conducted more than 1,400 surveys across California farmlands, including Santa Barbara, Ventura, Fresno and more.

The study found that most people who responded were at least 41 years old, mostly married and Latino.

Through the study, it was discovered that 47% of farmworkers report being diagnosed with a chronic health condition. The most common condition is diabetes, which is at 57% for women and 32% for men.

Other conditions include hypertension, anxiety, depression and asthma.

However, Cossyleon stated that many of the workers surveyed reported they had not seen a doctor in the past 12 months, so the actual number of illnesses may be underreported.

Cossyleon also noted that workers face high temperatures, are exposed to dangerous chemicals and smoke from wildfires, and lack health insurance.

The issue is worsened by the fact that many farms do not follow health and safety laws required by the state of California, and 28% of workers said they would not report violations out of fear of retaliation, she said.

In addition to the health risks, the study also showed that 47% of workers faced food insecurity, and 17% said that at some point they were not paid wages they were promised.

“Many farmworkers’ wages are so low that they can’t afford the very food that they harvest,” she said.

The median annual income for most farmworkers is $15,000. Many workers also make long daily commutes that increase their expenses.

Another issue for workers is housing, which eats up much of their wages.

More than 75% of extremely low-income households in Santa Barbara County pay more than half of their income toward rent, according to Veronica Garcia, the chief real estate development officer at People’s Self-Help Housing.

Additionally, 17,037 low-income renters do not have access to affordable homes.