Nagata Bros Farms has been growing strawberries, blueberries, cherimoyas, and vegetables on the same stretch of Oceanside soil since 1920, surviving the Great Depression, wartime rationing, and decades of Southern California’s relentless development pressure. Now the third-generation family farm says a very different threat — the price of diesel — could be what finally closes it down.
Diesel in San Diego County has climbed to roughly $8.23 a gallon, up from about $5.04 a year ago, a 65% jump tied to global fuel disruptions connected to the ongoing conflict with Iran. For a farm that runs diesel-powered tractors and irrigation pumps across its fields every day, that kind of spike lands directly on the bottom line. Fertilizer isn’t offering any relief either — the farm’s owner expects those costs to climb another 33% in the months ahead.
Neil Nagata, who runs the operation his grandfather started more than a century ago, didn’t mince words: “If things don’t balance out, then we won’t be here after 100 years of farming.” Beyond fuel and fertilizer, he points to rising borrowing costs, some of the highest water prices in the country, climbing labor expenses, and strict agricultural regulations as a slow squeeze that’s been building for years. Unlike many retailers, farms like his can’t simply raise prices to close the gap — in global produce markets, growers are largely “price takers,” accepting whatever the market will pay.
For North County residents, Nagata Bros is a familiar name at local farm stands and farmers markets, and its potential closure would be a loss that goes well beyond economics — it would mean one less living link to Oceanside’s agricultural roots in a region increasingly dominated by rooftops and retail. It’s also a pointed reminder for every small business owner in the San Diego area: energy shocks, supply chain costs, and regulatory overhead don’t stay abstract for long. They show up in a fuel bill, a delivery invoice, or a line at the pump, and they hit family-run operations the hardest.
Local residents who want to help can start simply, by shopping local and spreading the word about the farms and family businesses that give North County its character.
Source: NBC 7 San Diego
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