VALLEY CENTER, Calif. (KGTV) – A Valley Center farm is welcoming a guest from 3,000 miles away, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin.
“We have done so much that impacts farming,” Zeldin said.
Zeldin is touring the avocado farm and its owner, Robert Jackson, to get on the ground insight and take that back to Washington D.C.
“I look forward to talking to him about water quality issues and the flow from the Colorado River and what type of outstanding asks and needs are out there,” Zeldin said.
On Friday, the head of the EPA highlighted some policies to help those in agriculture, such as making farm equipment repair more efficient for farmers.
Jackson told ABC 10News he and other farmers in California need help from their elected leaders.
“We need help. We need the retailers to stand up and say we want to support California agriculture,” Jackson said. "We need the legislators. We need to put a halt on the flood of imports that’s coming into our markets.”
Zeldin also addressed President Trump’s State of the Union speech, in which he mentioned economic accomplishments that support the American people.
“That over the course of the, this coming year we are doing everything in our power to make sure that we are creating and growing jobs,” Zeldin said.
The EPA administrator was in the San Diego region to talk about what his office described as the President's economic accomplishments.
But when asked about tariffs and the potential economic impact of the white house having to return the money to companies and Americans, here's what Zeldin said.
“As far as funds that get released, that’s not a topic that’s been coming out of EPA appropriations. There are discussions as far as the funding that comes from other agencies. All I could do there is take a question back to Washington and get answers for that farmer about how a particular announcement or proposal might be impacting them,” Zeldin said.
Jackson felt Zeldin was extremely receptive on his visit to his farm.
“Problem is he is with the EPA. I’m not sure there’s a lot he can do other than talk to his colleagues. And if he does that, it was a day well spent,” Jackson said.
