U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren presented an $850,000 federal funding check to local officials on Aug. 25 to help establish an Agricultural Resource Center in Gilroy. The aim of the proposed new center is to provide services to local agricultural workers and their families.
Lofgren, D-San Jose, delivered the check at the Santa Clara County Government Center. The funding was one of 13 community projects she submitted for the fiscal year 2026 congressional appropriations cycle.
The county plans to use the money to acquire a fixed asset—such as a building, land or a permanent facility—for the resource center, which is expected to connect agricultural workers with support services and assistance with government programs.
“Agriculture is such a vital part of our regional economy, and it’s important that we’re doing all that we can to support the people working day after day to put food on our tables,” Lofgren said. “This new resource center in Gilroy is going to help expand opportunity for our ag workforce.”
Potential services include referrals to outside providers and help applying for government programs, as well as information about labor and employment rights, education, housing, utilities, mental health, immigration, food security, workforce training, education and child care.
County Executive James Williams said the funding will support the county’s agricultural industry and local farmers.
“We thank Representative Lofgren for her commitment to the more than 8,000 agriculture workers in Santa Clara County who ensure we have a safe and bountiful food supply, both locally and across the nation,” Williams said.
Supervisor Sylvia Arenas, whose District 1 includes much of the county’s agricultural region, said the center could help address housing, healthcare and other challenges facing farmworkers.
“As the daughter of farmworkers, I cannot express enough my appreciation for the Congresswoman making this happen for these families,” Arenas said.
The county’s agricultural industry employs more than 8,000 workers and contributes about $830 million annually to the national economy, according to Lofgren’s office. Most of the county’s farmland is concentrated in the southern portion of the county, including Gilroy, Morgan Hill, San Martin and south San Jose.
Lofgren also has been involved in federal agricultural labor legislation. She introduced the bipartisan Farm Workforce Modernization Act, which would modify the H-2A agricultural guest-worker program while providing protections for farmworkers.
Lofgren’s office said she has delivered multiple checks this year to recipients of community project funding, totaling $64 million across California’s 18th Congressional District.
