Ventura County Resource Conservation District

What Ventura County Resource Conservation District does

Ventura County Resource Conservation District (VCRCD) is a Special District of the State of California, established in the 1940s under Division 9 of the California Public Resource Code, operating as one of 99 Resource Conservation Districts in the state. The organization delivers free technical and financial conservation assistance to farmers, ranchers, landowners, and community members across Ventura County, administering grant programs in agricultural water quality (AEWQA, AMPP, IIMRLN), soil health (HSP), water efficiency (SWEEP), pollinator habitat (PHP), organic transition (OTP), and extreme weather and drought relief (CUSP). Beyond direct agricultural services, VCRCD coordinates regional convening bodies including the Ventura River Watershed Council, Santa Clara River Watershed Committee, Ventura County Wildfire Collaborative, and Ventura County Prescribed Burn Association, and leads the Monarch and Pollinator Regional Advisory Committee.

VCRCD's business model is grant-funded rather than revenue-generating in a commercial sense. The organization competes for competitive state and federal grants from CDFA, CalFire, the California Department of Water Resources, the State Water Resources Control Board, and the California Wildlife Conservation Board, and also acts as a Block Grant Recipient that disburses pass-through funds to eligible farmers while retaining a portion for administration and technical assistance. As a CDFA SWEEP Block Grant Recipient, VCRCD's service area extends to Ventura, Santa Barbara, Kern, Los Angeles, and San Luis Obispo counties. Programs are free to eligible beneficiaries, with some (e.g., AEWQA) requiring a cash match from applicants. The organization employs 17 staff across executive, restoration ecology, agriculture, water resources, fire ecology, education, and administration functions, and is governed by a seven-member board appointed by the Ventura County Board of Supervisors.

Recent operational scale includes $16.4 million in active agricultural program funding, $13 million secured across 8 grants in 2023, 15,000+ acres of agricultural land benefited in 2025, 300+ agricultural beneficiaries (60% Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers), 1,200+ volunteers engaged in 2024, 53 acres of prescribed burning implemented in 2025, and 6,530+ MTCO2e of carbon sequestered through Healthy Soils practices. VCRCD holds a long-standing Memorandum of Understanding with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service spanning 50+ years and was recognized with 2023 Ventura County Fair ribbons in the Wildfire and Government categories.

Name

Ventura County Resource Conservation District

Legal name

Ventura County Resource Conservation District

Website

https://vcrcd.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1940

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Ventura County Resource Conservation District is a California Special District delivering free grant-funded conservation programs in agriculture, water, wildfire, and habitat restoration to farmers, ranchers, and community members across Ventura County.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Somis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: VCRCD is primarily funded through grants from state and federal agencies. Major funders include California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), California State Water Resources Control Board, CalFire, California Department of Water Resources, and California Wildlife Conservation Board. The organization competes for competitive grant awards to fund conservation programs in water quality, soil health, habitat restoration, and wildfire preparedness. Grants are disbursed to farmers and ranchers as financial assistance through cost-share programs.
2. Donations: VCRCD accepts donations from the public to support conservation work not covered by grant funds. The organization ran its first Giving Tuesday campaign in 2025 called 'From the Ground Up,' raising $3,176 with 10% of proceeds donated to local food banks.
3. Grant Administration Fees: As a block grant recipient (e.g., CDFA SWEEP Block Grant Pilot), VCRCD disburses grant funds to eligible farmers and retains a portion for program administration and technical assistance delivery.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

VCRCD is a Special District of the State of California that delivers free, grant-funded environmental conservation programs to farmers, ranchers, landowners, and community members across Ventura County. Its core offerings include cost-share agricultural grant programs (SWEEP, HSP, AEWQA, AMPP, CUSP, OTP, PHP, IIMRLN, CAPGP), on-farm technical assistance such as Mobile Irrigation Lab evaluations and Carbon Farm/Nutrient Management Plans, watershed coordination for the Ventura and Santa Clara Rivers, prescribed burn and wildfire risk reduction programs, and habitat restoration (monarch and pollinator habitat, riparian invasive species removal).

Product overview

VCRCD is a Special District of California providing conservation programs through multiple interconnected service areas. The organization operates as a unified platform of environmental programs: Agriculture programs offering grant funding (AEWQA, SWEEP, HSP, CUSP, OTP, PHP, CAPGP, IIMRLN) and technical assistance (Irrigation Evaluations, Mobile Irrigation Lab, Grazing Lands Conservation) to farmers; Water Resources programs coordinating the Ventura River Watershed Council and Santa Clara River Watershed Committee plus watershed resilience planning; Fire Ecology programs including the Ventura County Prescribed Burn Association, Wildfire Collaborative, and Fire Ecology Speaker Series; Habitat Restoration programs supporting monarch butterflies, pollinators, and native plant restoration; and Education programs including Conservation Corner blog, Pollinator Alerts, and California Coastal Cleanup Day coordination. Programs work together through shared staff expertise, common geographic service areas, and integrated watershed and agricultural planning approaches.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Agricultural Environmental Water Quality Assistance (AEWQA) A California State Water Resources Control Board-funded program that accelerates and incentivizes the implementation of sediment, nutrient, and irrigation management practices on agricultural and equestrian operations in Ventura County watersheds to improve water quality. Requires a 40% cash match from applicants.
• Agricultural Management Practice Plans (AMPP) A $250,000 grant program supporting Ventura County growers in TMDL areas to develop and implement Management Practice Plans (MPPs) for Track 2 compliance under WDR Order R4-2023-0353, helping growers reduce or eliminate agricultural discharges contributing to water quality impairments.
• Conservation Agriculture Planning Grant Program (CAPGP) Provides free comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans and Carbon Farm Plans tailored to each farm's needs, with recommendations for carbon sequestration, improved drought resilience, and reduced water usage for agricultural operations.
• CUSP Extreme Weather Relief CA Underserved & Small Producer (CUSP) program offering reimbursement funding up to $20,000 every 12 months for expenses and losses on agricultural and working lands due to approved extreme weather events, with priority for socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers.
• Healthy Soils Program (HSP) CDFA cost-share program offering up to $200,000 for farmers and ranchers to implement healthy soil practices including compost application, cover cropping, hedgerow planting, and prescribed grazing. Delivered through VCRCD as a CDFA Block Grant Recipient.
• Grazing Lands Conservation Free technical assistance consultations on rangelands, grazing management plans, and rancher workshops offered through the Central Coast Soil Hub for ranchers and grazers across Ventura County.
• Mobile Irrigation Lab / Irrigation Evaluations Free on-farm irrigation system efficiency evaluations for orchards, row crops, and nurseries, providing reports on system efficiency, distribution uniformity, and overall performance to assist growers with best management practices for irrigation efficiency.
• Interactive Irrigation Management to Reduce Leaching of Nitrogen (IIMRLN) Program aimed at reducing nitrogen discharged below the root zone through Nutrient and Irrigation Management (NIM) station deployment and technical assistance for agricultural operations.
• Organic Transition Pilot (OTP) CDFA grant program providing direct financial and technical assistance for farmers transitioning to organic practices with land under pre-certification.
• Pollinator Habitat Program (PHP) Reimbursement funding up to $200,000 for implementation of pollinator habitat on agricultural landscapes meeting pre-approved NRCS practice standards, offered in partnership with Cachuma RCD, Community Environmental Council, and Santa Barbara Botanical Garden.
• State Water Efficiency & Enhancement Program (SWEEP) CDFA program providing financial incentives up to $200,000 for California agricultural operations to invest in systems that reduce water consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. VCRCD serves as a CDFA Block Grant Recipient for SWEEP.
• Ventura River Watershed Resilience Watershed resilience program addressing climate hazards, mapping watershed networks, and building shared watershed goals in the Ventura River Watershed through the California Department of Water Resources Watershed Resilience Program pilot.
• Ventura River Watershed Council Primary convening body for Ventura River watershed-wide education, information sharing, and collaborative planning. VCRCD holds the coordinator role.
• Santa Clara River Watershed Committee Watershed committee for Santa Clara River providing education, information sharing, and collaborative planning, with Steering Committee established in 2025 to guide formal charter development. VCRCD holds the coordinator role.
• Ventura County Prescribed Burn Association (VCPBA) Program facilitating prescribed fire implementation across Ventura County for fuel reduction, wildfire resilience, and ecosystem health, treating acres through pile burns and broadcast burns. VCRCD serves as the lead agency.
• Ventura County Wildfire Collaborative Co-coordinator role for regional organizations working together to prepare for future wildfire threats through planning, outreach, and a $3 million CalFire Fire Prevention grant awarded end of 2024.
• Wildfire Risk Management Wildfire preparedness services including home assessments, defensible space plans, and community workshops for wildfire risk reduction in Ventura County.
• Fire Ecology Speaker Series Bi-monthly free Fire Ecology Speaker Series targeted to the Ventura County community, featuring fire ecology experts.
• Habitat Restoration Restoration of pollinator and native habitats including monarch butterfly overwintering and breeding sites, oak woodland restoration, and native plant establishment across Ventura County.
• Monarch and Pollinator Regional Advisory Committee (MRAC) Regional advisory committee coordinating monarch and pollinator conservation efforts through bi-annual meetings and speaker arrangements, coordinated by VCRCD.
• California Coastal Cleanup Day Annual coastal cleanup coordination for Ventura County, with VCRCD serving as Regional Coordinator for California's Coastal Cleanup Day, hosting multiple cleanup sites and removing thousands of pounds of trash from coastal and inland waterways.
• Removal of Riparian Invasive Species (Arundo Removal) Watershed-wide invasive species removal efforts targeting Arundo donax (giant reed) to restore native ecosystems and improve watershed health across the Santa Clara and Ventura Rivers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 15,000+ acres of agricultural land benefited from programs in 2025
• +9 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

25 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• United States Department of Agriculture – Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVCRCD and NRCS have a long-standing formal relationship dating back over 50 years, formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). NRCS appoints a District Conservationist to provide technical assistance to the district and serves as liaison between the district and federal programs. The MOU was revised in 1994 to modernize the partnership and add state conservation agencies.
• California Association of Resource Conservation Districts (CARCD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVCRCD is one of 99 RCDs in California and a member of CARCD, the statewide association that supports and represents Resource Conservation Districts.
• Ventura County Wildfire CollaborativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVCRCD serves as co-coordinator of the Ventura County Wildfire Collaborative, which represents several regional organizations working together to prepare for future wildfire threats. At end of 2024, the Collaborative was awarded a $3 million CalFire Fire Prevention grant to reduce hazardous fuels throughout Ventura County.
• Ventura County Prescribed Burn Association (VCPBA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVCRCD serves as the lead agency for the Ventura County Prescribed Burn Association. In 2025, VCPBA implemented prescribed fire across 53 acres with support from CalFire Fire Prevention grant and the addition of VCRCD's Fire Preparedness Coordinator.
• Ojai Valley Land ConservancymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in monarch habitat restoration, prescribed burn operations, and Fire Ecology Speaker Series. Hosted CA-219 Firing Operations course in June 2026 at Ojai Valley properties. Collaborating on invasive yellow starthistle research using prescribed fire.
• UCANR Cooperative ExtensionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnering with UCANR Cooperative Extension on prescribed fire research, specifically studying how prescribed fire can help reduce the spread and impacts of invasive yellow starthistle.
• Ventura County Air Pollution Control DistrictminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on prescribed burn operations in Ojai Valley, June 2026. Participated in CA-219 Firing Operations course for advanced firefighters and prescribed fire practitioners.
• Monarch and Pollinator Regional Advisory Committee (MRAC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVCRCD coordinates MRAC, a bi-annual regional advisory committee focused on monarch and pollinator conservation. Includes speakers and meetings addressing regional pollinator issues.
• Trout UnlimitedminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrout Unlimited collaborated on research and restoration of degraded high alpine meadows in California's Sierra Nevada. Cristina Czochanski, now VCRCD staff, previously worked at Trout Unlimited.
• Community Environmental Council (CEC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVCRCD partners with CEC on the Pollinator Habitat Program (PHP) alongside Cachuma RCD and Santa Barbara Botanical Garden, offering reimbursements up to $200,000 for pollinator habitat on agricultural landscapes. Cristina Czochanski joined VCRCD from CEC.
• Center for Land Based Learning (SLEWS Program)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew partnership in 2023 through the SLEWS (Student and Landowner Education and Wildlife Stewardship) program, expanding youth education programs.
• Ventura River Watershed CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVCRCD holds coordinator role for the Ventura River Watershed Council, the primary convening body for watershed-wide education, information sharing, and collaborative planning. Selected as one of five watersheds statewide for California DWR Watershed Resilience Program pilot.
• Santa Clara River Watershed CommitteecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVCRCD holds coordinator role for the Santa Clara River Watershed Committee, which established a Steering Committee in 2025 to guide the development of a formal charter for long-term structure and shared leadership.
• Happy Valley FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with VCPBA on CA-219 Firing Operations prescribed burn course in June 2026 at Ojai Valley properties.
• Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMRCA Fire Department participated in CA-219 Firing Operations course and prescribed burn operations in Ojai Valley, June 2026.
• Ventura County Fire Department, CalFire, Bell Canyon FD, Chumash FD, Ventura City FD, Beverly Hills FDminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple fire agencies collaborated with VCPBA on CA-219 Firing Operations course in Ojai Valley, June 2026, treating 42 acres across two properties for firefighter training and invasive species management.
• Ventura County Board of SupervisorscoreOthersThe VCRCD Board of Directors (7 members) is appointed for four-year terms by the Ventura County Board of Supervisors. Directors must be landowners or agents of landowners residing within the District.
• Quality Ag Inc.minorOthersRemington Richardson, board member and Development Chair, works for Quality Ag Inc. as head of the Ag Division. Quality Ag Inc. is a ranch management and construction company.
• Ventura County Coalition of Labor, Agriculture, and Business (VC CoLAB)minorOthersBoard member Brianne Whitcomb serves as Policy and Advocacy Coordinator for VC CoLAB, which works to support policies strengthening local agriculture and business communities.
• Leavens Ranches LLCminorOthersBoard member Brianne Whitcomb serves as NextGen Advisor for Leavens Ranches LLC, a fourth-generation family farming business, and Internal VP of Ventura County California Women for Agriculture.
• Ventura County Cattlemen's AssociationminorOthersBoard member Misty McNamara serves as Treasurer and Board Member of Ventura County Cattlemen's Association.
• Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SAMO)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation Ecologist Jia Wiebe previously worked for SAMO as vegetation restoration field technician and crew lead, where she planted over 100,000 native plants in the Santa Monica Mountains.
• Ojai Valley Land ConservancymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVCRCD Resource Conservation Technician Rachel Ray previously worked with Ojai Valley Land Conservancy and Channel Islands Restoration on riparian restoration, particularly Arundo donax removal in the Santa Clara and Ventura Rivers.
• Cachuma Resource Conservation District (CRCD)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVCRCD partners with Cachuma RCD on the Pollinator Habitat Program (PHP), alongside Community Environmental Council and Santa Barbara Botanical Garden.
• Santa Barbara Botanical Garden (SBBG)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVCRCD partners with Santa Barbara Botanical Garden on the Pollinator Habitat Program (PHP), offering reimbursements up to $200,000 for pollinator habitat on agricultural landscapes.

Scale indicators20 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• The Nature Conservancy (California): The Nature Conservancy is a much larger, national conservation organization with significant California operations in habitat restoration, fire resilience, and climate adaptation. While a much broader entity, it is thematically and operationally comparable to VCRCD's habitat and fire programs and competes for some of the same state and federal grant pools.

Direct peers

• Marin Resource Conservation District: Marin RCD is a California Resource Conservation District with a long operating history delivering agricultural conservation, watershed, and ranching programs. Comparable to VCRCD in mandate, funding model, and mix of agricultural and ecological programming.
• San Mateo Resource Conservation District: San Mateo RCD is a California Resource Conservation District delivering agricultural, water quality, and habitat restoration programs. Functions under the same Division 9 Public Resource Code mandate and serves as a structural peer for VCRCD in the Bay Area.
• Cachuma Resource Conservation District: Cachuma RCD is a fellow California Resource Conservation District and a direct collaborator with VCRCD on the Pollinator Habitat Program. Operates in Santa Barbara County with a comparable portfolio of agricultural, watershed, and habitat programs funded through similar state and federal grant streams.
• Feather River Resource Conservation District: Feather River RCD is a California RCD in Plumas County, where VCRCD's current Fire Preparedness Coordinator previously worked as a conservation technician. Operates a comparable special-district model delivering agricultural, forestry, and fire-resilience programs in a different but structurally similar California geography.
• Santa Cruz Resource Conservation District: Santa Cruz RCD is a California Resource Conservation District providing conservation technical assistance, watershed coordination, and agricultural programs funded through the same state and federal grant mechanisms. Directly comparable in structure, mandate, and funding model to VCRCD.

Regional players

• Ojai Valley Land Conservancy: Ojai Valley Land Conservancy is a regional land trust within Ventura County that partners with VCRCD on prescribed fire operations, monarch habitat restoration, and the Fire Ecology Speaker Series. Operates in the same geography and a partially overlapping programmatic scope, particularly on land conservation and habitat restoration.

Emerging players

• Community Environmental Council: Community Environmental Council is a Santa Barbara-based nonprofit that partners with VCRCD on the Pollinator Habitat Program and previously employed a current VCRCD staff member. Operates adjacent food and agriculture, climate, and pollinator programs in the same Central Coast region.
• Surfrider Foundation (Ventura County Chapter): Surfrider Foundation operates water quality, coastal cleanup, and watershed programs in Ventura County and is the parent organization for the California Coastal Cleanup Day program that VCRCD regionally coordinates. A thematically adjacent peer focused on coastal water quality rather than agricultural conservation.

Others

• California Association of Resource Conservation Districts (CARCD): CARCD is the statewide membership association of which VCRCD is a member. Not a direct competitor but the convening and advocacy body that represents the 99 California RCDs and shapes statewide funding and policy that affects VCRCD's grant pipeline.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCxeJ2nrXUHPW6LTydnKz7GQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/venturarcd
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ventura-county-resource-conservation-district
• Instagraminstagram.com/venturacountyrcd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ventura County Resource Conservation District