SAN YSIDRO, Calif. (KGTV) — Some local farmers in the South Bay are struggling to recover from flooding following the recent storms. It's hard to find both farmers and salvageable crops at the Tijuana River Valley Community Gardens after rainfall devastated the facility's 25 acres.
Daniela Mejia works at the gardens, and she's lived in the area for her whole life.
"This flood was different from all the others," said Mejia. "It's been dead around here. Our gardeners haven't come just because we ask them to stay away from flooded zones. It's safe to come now. And a lot of gardeners are gonna have to come back and assess damage."
Mejia says the storm on Jan. 22 turned the garden into a lake with waist-high water, and the land hasn't hasn't gotten much of a break since then.
"We have 210 plots, and it's not just one gardener per plot. We have families here, so we have maybe 400 gardeners alone," said Mejia. "And we have nine businesses — active businesses — here. They're out of commission. They will have to throw out all of their crops."
The destruction may take months to recover from and create worries for businesses trying to stay afloat.
"That's their income they're losing. Not only that, a lot of their equipment and irrigation systems. They're gonna be trash," said Mejia. "The soil just needs to heal. It needs to decontaminate. They'll have to wait about three months before they can continue their business."
The Berry Good Foundation is raising money to help farmers rebuild, and Pixca Farms has a GoFundMe for repairs.
