Santa Maria farmer files Chapter 7 amid legal battle with bank
A Santa Maria produce broker and farmer has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy with about $1 million in assets and $9 million in liabilities as his family companies sue the region’s largest bank on allegations that it failed to come through on millions of dollars in promised loans.
Strawberry grower, Heritage Oaks head to trial over loan contract
A Santa Maria strawberry grower’s lawsuit alleging that Heritage Oaks Bank’s failure to provide financing after promising to do so drove the grower into near-bankruptcy is headed to trial later this month.
Apeel blooms: Startup gets $1.3M to explore flower, produce coatings
Apeel Sciences has raised $1.3 million and is working on a new product for flower growers to complement its existing efforts to prevent fruit and produce losses to pests and spoilage.
Tech-savvy Ventura County grower re-engineers approach to raspberries
Jurgen Gramckow is one of a few Ventura County raspberry growers who are making the crop one of the county’s highest-grossing agricultural products.
