A two-decade study offers a rare glimpse into the books of a large lettuce operation in the Salinas Valley. The research found labor, food safety and groundwater management rules — among many other regulations and fees — have led to a 1,366% increase in regulatory costs since 2006. The case study, commissioned by the Monterey County Farm Bureau, offers a snapshot of the financial challenges growers endure to operate within California’s rapidly changing regulatory environment. … In 2024, after several more major state laws took effect, regulatory costs hit $1,600 per acre, a 64% increase from 2017 and a nearly 1,400% jump since Hamilton first began the work. Compliance now accounted for more than 12% of the total costs. Total production costs, meanwhile, rose just 44% over the decades, landing at less than $13,000 per acre, and the farm gate value for lettuce went up at the same rate.