Farmers' Markets and Farm Fresh Produce Around Ventura County

/
farmersmarket.jpg

Looking for fresh produce in Ventura County? Lettuce help you! There are over a dozen farmers' markets in and around Ventura County each week, not to mention another dozen or so stores and Community Supported Agriculture programs that sell organic produce.

Times, dates and places subject to change. Let us know of any updates!

FARMERS' MARKETS (In "day of the week" order)

VENTURA: Wednesdays 9 am to 1 pm at Pacific View Mall in the west parking lot, near Red Robin and the former Sears. Call 805.529.6266. www.vccfm.org/midtown-ventura

OXNARD: Thursdays 9 am to 1:30 pm at Plaza Park, 5th and C Streets. Call 805.247.0197. downtownoxnard.org/farmers-market

THOUSAND OAKS: Thursdays noon to 5 pm at the The Oaks Mall east parking lot. Produce, flowers, food and more! www.vccfm.org/thousand-oaks

OJAI: Thursdays 3 to 7 pm at the Ojai Unified School District courtyard at 414 E. Ojai Avenue (at Montgomery). Produce, fish, crafts, food and more. www.ojaicommunityfarmersmarket.com

SIMI VALLEY: Fridays 11 am to 3:30 pm at Simi Valley Civic Center Plaza, 2757 Tapo Canyon Rd..(at Alamo Street) www.facebook.com/simivalleymarket or 805.643.6458

DOWNTOWN VENTURA: Saturdays 8:30 am to noon 200 block of Main Street, from Palm Street to Mission Park. Call 805.529.6266 or visit www.vccfm.org/downtown-ventura

CAMARILLO: Saturdays 8 am to noon 2220 Ventura Boulevard camarillofarmersmarket.com. Proceeds benefit Camarillo Hospice. Call 805.386.3584.

NEWBURY PARK: Plans are in the works for a Saturday farmers’ market in the Conejo Gateway Plaza at the corner of Wendy Drive and Old Conejo Road. Stay tuned. dhholdings.com/index.php/project/conejo-gateway-plaza

CALABASAS: Saturdays 8 am to 1 pm in Old Town Calabasas on Calabasas Road west of El Canon Avenue (across from Sagebrush Cantina). Call 818.591.8161. ccfm.com/calabasas-farmers-market

SANTA PAULA: Saturdays 10am to 2pm at Anna’s Cider, 801 E. Main St. www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100094783585689

VENTURA: The Ventura College Foundation Weekend Marketplace at Ventura College takes place on Saturdays and Sundays from 8 am to 2 pm, in the east parking lot, 4667 Telegraph Road. Fresh produce, nursery plants, flowers and more offered. venturacollegefoundation.org/weekend-marketplace-2

WESTLAKE VILLAGE: Sundays 10 am to 2 pm at 2797 Agoura Road (at the Westlake Commons) Call 818.591.8161. www.facebook.com/WestlakeVillageFM

OJAI: Sundays 9 am to 1 pm at 300 E. Matilija Street year-round, rain or shine. Produce, flowers and gourmet food. Call 805.698.5555. www.ojaicertifiedfarmersmarket.com.

OXNARD/CHANNEL ISLANDS HARBOR: Sundays 10 am to 2 pm at 2805 South Harbor Boulevard year-round. www.channelislandsharbor.org/listing/farmers-market

MALIBU: Sundays 10 am to 3 pm at Legacy Park, 23500 Civic Center Way. www.facebook.com/malibufarmersmarket

LOCAL STORES WITH FRESH PRODUCE:

Underwood Family Farms Market at 3370 Sunset Valley Road, Moorpark has farm fresh produce, pickled items, honey, nuts, juices, dried beans, farm fresh eggs and fresh cut flowers. Open year-round.. Call 805.529.3690. underwoodfamilyfarms.com/farm-market

Underwood Family Farms Market at 5696 E. Los Angeles Avenue in Somis is open every day year-round 9am to 6pm (5pm after DST) with the exception of some holidays. Call 805.386.4660. underwoodfamilyfarms.com/somis

Underwood Family Farms - Somis Location

Underwood Family Farms Market in Moorpark.

Underwood Family Farms Market in Moorpark.

McGrath Family Farm at 1012 West Ventura Blvd, Camarillo is open March through December Tuesday through Sunday and offers organic fruits, flowers and vegetables.  Freeway convenient off the Central Avenue offramp of the 101. Call 805.983.0333.

Lassen's Natural Foods, with locations in Thousand Oaks, Oxnard, Camarillo, Ventura and Simi Valley, has offered fresh produce since 1971.

Apricot Lane Farms at 10700 Broadway Road in Moorpark opens its Farmstand on Saturdays and Sundays from May to October. Hours are 10am to 3:30pm. Guests are welcome to take a self-guided tour of the regenerative market garden, enjoy the children’s playground, and have a picnic on the beautiful garden lawn. www.apricotlanefarms.com/where-to-buy

Sprouts Farmers Market sells local farm fresh produce as well as a full range of other grocery items, with local area locations at:

Whole Foods Market organic fresh produce and a full range of grocery items, with local locations in Thousand Oaks (740 N. Moorpark Road, Thousand Oaks) 805.777.4730 and Oxnard at The Collection (650 Town Center Drive) 805.751.4300

Green Acres Farm Market (2918 Los Angeles Avenue, Simi Valley) opened in 1968 and offers farm fresh produce, meat, fine wines and gourmet groceries. Call 805.526.1312. www.simigreenacres.com

Rodela Produce and Flowers (formerly A & F Country Market) is at 4550 Olivas Park Drive in Ventura (at Telephone Road). From Thousand Oaks, take Victoria offramp from 101 south to Olivas Park and make a right. Store is on your left. Nice stop on your way to/from the Olivas Adobe and Ventura Harbor Village. 805.644.5470.

santiagos produce.JPG

Santiago’s Produce is located on the northwest corner of Olivas Park Drive and Telephone Road at 4551 Olivas Park Drive.

The Berry Best stand at 3030 Dodge Road (at Pleasant Valley Road, just east of Rice Avenue) is strawberry, fruit and vegetable stand. Call 805.271.4490.

prancers farm1.jpg

Prancer’s Farm is a family owned farm and produce stand located at 18540 E. Telegraph Road, Santa Paula. Open daily 10am to 6pm.

The Gerry Ranch offers freshly picked blueberries at its farm in the Santa Rosa Valley. Visit www.gerryranchberries.com for more information.

Francisco's Fruits is located at 1782 E. Telegraph Road in Fillmore. Fruits, nuts, snacks, and more. Great place to buy citrus! www.facebook.com/FranciscosFruit 805.524.4616

Lil Red Barn is located at 100 S. Victoria Avenue in Oxnard, with seasonable produce like strawberries, avocados, vegetables and more. 805.382.0799

Paty’s Farm at 3260 Somis Road in Somis is a produce stand that offers fresh fruit and vegetables. 805.947.6764

CSA (COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE) AND LOCAL DELIVERY PROGRAMS

Local Harvest Delivery is based in Santa Barbara and delivers harvest boxes to homes as far as Ventura and Ojai.

Farm Cart Organics provides local delivery service. Visit www.farmcartorganics.com.

Farmivore offers farm to door delivery throughout Ventura County, plus Agoura Hills and Calabasas. https://farmivore.localfoodmarketplace.com

Farm Fresh to You delivers organic fruits and vegetables to your home. www.farmfreshtoyou.com

Farmers' Market Websites:

Farm Bureau of Ventura County: www.farmbureauvc.com/farm-to-table

Ventura County Certified Farmers Markets: www.vccfm.org

Retired Farmers' Markets:

NEWBURY PARK: Fridays 2pm to 7pm (The Village at Dos Vientos Ranch). Announced on 12/9/13 that market is closed.

SIMI VALLEY: The Simi Valley Town Center Market was discontinued effective 11/26/14 after running for a year and a half.

AGOURA HILLS: Sundays 9 am to 2 pm at 5835 Kanan Road (Agoura's Famous Deli parking lot) closed 6/28/15.

CAMARILLO: Wednesdays 3-7pm Pleasant Valley Certified Farmers' Market at the Camarillo Community Center parking lot closed 9/30/15.

NEWBURY PARK: Saturdays 9 am to 2 pm at the Newbury Park Library parking lot (Borchard Road and Michael Drive) closed Feb 2017

OXNARD: Thursdays 4 pm to 8 pm at The Collection at RiverPark short-lived

OXNARD: Saturdays 8 am to 2 pm at The Collection at RiverPark located -short-lived in 2022

MOORPARK: Sundays - to be relocating - check for updates at www.facebook.com/moorparkcfm

Pick Your Own Produce at Underwood Family Farms in Moorpark

/
Underwood Sign.JPG

For a fun, inexpensive local family activity, stop by Underwood Family Farms in Moorpark for some "Pick Your Own" fun. Open most of the year, weather and farm conditions permitting. They've got everything from avocados, beans, beets, blackberries, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, onions, cucumbers, on through spinach, squash and tomatoes, depending on time of year.

Underwood offers pull wagons, bags and containers for you to stash your haul. Then of course you pay for it. And if you can't find what you want in the fields, they may have it in their Farm Market.

  • Weekday Admission: $7 (as of June 2023)

  • Weekend and Holiday Admission: $10 (as of June 2023) (subject to change during spring, fall and Christmas festivals)

  • Children under 2 and parking free.

  • Wagon rides included with admission.

  • Seniors (65+), Military, Veterans and 1st Responders w/ID get $2 off.

Learn more at underwoodfamilyfarms.com/pick-your-own.

Fruit, Vegetable and Other Food, Beer and Wine Festivals In and Around Ventura County

/

According to the California Department of Food & Agriculture, in 2021, California’s 69,000 farms and ranches generated $51.1 billion in revenue and was the largest producer of commodities in the country, producing 11.8% of the U.S. total. The top ten commodities in the state in 2021 were dairy products, grapes, almonds, cattle, pistachios, lettuce, tomatoes, walnuts, rice and chi

Ventura County ranks 26th out of 58 California counties in geographic size but in 2021 ranked 10th overall in terms of agricultural output, producing nearly $2 billion worth of strawberries, lemons, horiculture, raspberries and other commodities.

All that produce grown in Ventura County (as well as Santa Barbara County) and the hard work that goes into it must explain why we have so many nearby food related festivals and celebrations year-round! Specific dates each year are posted in the Local Events and Events Calendar sections of the site but here's a compilation for you to, ahem, digest. We also opted to include beer, wine and other long-standing festivals for your imbibing pleasure.

The Rotary Club of Thousand Oaks Chili Cook-Off is in the late April to early May time frame each year. It is a charitable fundraiser that has taken place since 1977.

The California Strawberry Festival takes place on the 3rd weekend of May each year. This popular event has taken place since 1984. Up until 2020 the event took place in Oxnard. For the first time in 2023, the festival moved to the Ventura County Fairgrounds.

The Soroptimist International of the Conejo hosts an annual "Margarita Mixoff" event in Thousand Oaks. For many years, the event took place in May. Since 2021, including the 21st annual event in 2023, the event has taken place in September.

The Ojai Wine Festival takes place in the June time frame at Lake Casitas has been around since 1987. They say over 5,000 people attend the event! The 35th annual event will take place in June 2023.

The Knights of Columbus of Simi Valley has been hosting an Annual Chili Cook-Off and Car Show since 1988. The 35th annual event is planned for June 2023.

The Casa Pacifica Angels Wine & Food Festival benefits Casa Pacifica Centers for Children and Families and has been running since 1994. Currently takes place in early June.

The Conejo Food & Wine Fest premiered in 2010 and takes place in Thousand Oaks in the June time frame.

The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History has hosted the Santa Barbara Wine Festival in the June time frame each year since 1988.

The Oxnard Salsa Festival has taken place each summer (currently July) since 1994 (except for 2020-2022 due to the pandemic). It will be back in July 2023.

Since 1988, the Meadowlark Service League has been hosting A Taste of Camarillo Wine & Food Festival. The event currently takes place in late July - the 36th annual event is July 30, 2023.

The California Wine Festival in Santa Barbara in July marks 2004 as its first year.

The Port of Hueneme Banana Festival took place for the first time in 2012 and its 10th annual (2020-2021 were pandemic years) event is planned for the last Saturday of September 2022.

The Calabasas Pumpkin Festival takes place in October. There is a small admission charge.

The California Avocado Festival in Carpinteria goes back to 1987 and claims to be the largest free festival on the west coast. It currently takes place the first full weekend of October.

The Santa Barbara Harbor & Seafood Festival originated in 2001 and offers live lobster, crab, prawns, BBQ albacore, clam chowder, fish tacos, seafood gumbo and other prepared dishes in the October time frame.

The California Lemon Festival also takes place in October in Goleta. Free admission. This one has been around since 1992.

The Oxnard Tamale Festival takes place in the early December time frame each year. It began in 2008. The 2023 event is planned for December 2nd.

List obviously subject to change! Contact us for additions. The list is meant to include recurring, annual events, not one-time events, that focus primarily on food and/or drinks.

Summary of the California Homemade Food Act aka "Cottage Food" Bill

/

In September 2012, California Governor Jerry Brown signed into law AB1616, the California Homemade Food Act, that became effective January 1, 2013.

The law enables home food business entrepreneurs to run businesses, referred to as Cottage Food Operations, without being subject to the same level of regulation as commercial restaurants and bakeries. Before the law was passed, home cooks were required to rent part of a retail kitchen to prepare their products, among other things.

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) maintains a list of certain “non-potentially hazardous” foods that can be prepared within and sold from a private home, provided certain requirements are met. County Environmental Health Divisions are responsible for overseeing Cottage Food Operation permits. To learn more about obtaining this permit in Ventura County, visit vcrma.org/en/cottage-home-food-operations.

How to Qualify as a Cottage Food Operation:

  • You prepare or package cottage food products at home.

  • Your cottage food product(s) are on the state approved list (summary below).

  • You have one or fewer full-time equivalent employees, excluding immediate family an household members.

  • Your gross annual sales of cottage food are not more than $75,000 for “Class A” foods and $150,000 for “Class B” foods. These amounts were updated effective 1/1/2022 and will be adjusted annually for inflation.

    • Class A: You only engage in direct sales of cottage foods to customers (e.g. at events, farmers’ markets, etc.).

    • Class B: You engage in both direct and indirect sales (e.g. through a third party retailer, like a restaurant or retail shop).

  • You file for proper permitting with Ventura County Environmental Health Division.

Approved Cottage Foods:

The CDPH maintains a list of food that are deemed to be non-potentially hazardous as “cottage foods.” These are foods that do not support the rapid growth of microorganisms or toxins that could make people sick when the food is held outside time and temperature control.

  • Baked goods without cream, custard or meat fillings - examples include bagels, baklava, biscuits, bread, brownies, buns, cake, churros, coconut macaroons, cookies, crackers, cupcakes, donuts, empanadas (fruit only), flatbreads, fruit, nut or seed bars, macarons (with approved buttercream), muffins, pastries, pies (fruit only), samosas (fruit only), tamales (fruit only), tarts, torillla, torts and waffles.

  • Candy and confections (too many examples)

  • Extracts containing at least 70 proof or 35% food grade for human consumption alcohol.

  • Dried, dehydrated and freeze-dried foods

  • Frostings, icings, fondants and gum pastes that do no contain eggs, cream or cream cheese

  • Honey and sorghum syrups

  • Fruit butters, jams, jellies

  • Nuts, nut mixes and nut butters

  • Powdered drink mixes made from manufactured ingredients

  • Vinegars and mustards

And there you have it. So if you’re wondering why that pie vendor at the farmers’ market is only selling fruit pies, now you know why.

Sweeten Your Day with a Visit to Bennett's Honey Tasting Room in Fillmore

/

We were in the Santa Clarita area ready to head back home to the Conejo Valley, when I decided, how about if we take Highway 126 for once. So we did.

Highway126_CountyLine.JPG

It was a leisurely drive on a late Sunday morning, when we came across a sign that caught my interest.

HoneyTastingRoom.JPG

After passing the sign, I asked my son if he would like to do some honey tasting, to which he replied, "SURE!" So we turned back!

Bennett's Honey Tasting Room is located just north of Highway 126 at 3176 Honey Lane in Fillmore. It feels really off the beaten path, but is just 5 miles east of central Fillmore.

BennettsHoneyFarm_building.JPG

There's a small parking lot in front of the retail store. We walked up the steps, opened the door, and found ourselves in a small, one room shop, where we were greeted by smiling staff and stacks of honey jars and products.

BennettsBest_shop.JPG

But what really caught our eye, the reason for our stopping by on this mild, Sunday morning, was the honey tasting kiosk in the middle of the room. We treated ourselves to samples of honey derived from orange blossoms, sage, wildflowers, buckwheat, avocado, clover, eucalyptus and cactus. Honey heaven!

BennettsBest_tasting.JPG

How is honey made? Worker bees suck nectar from a blossom and carry it back to the hive in their honey sacs (i.e. stomachs). On its way home, acid secretions in the sacs start changing the nectar to honey. In the hive, the honey is passed to a receiving bee where it is processed and concentrated for storage in empty honeycomb cells. 70,000 nectar "loads" become one pound of honey. Housekeeping bees "dry" the honey by fanning their wings in unison, then the cells are sealed for beeswax. Honey will keep for years.

Bennetts_honeycomb.JPG

My top choice was the cactus flavored honey as well as the "creamed" honey. We inquired about a honey that would be best for combating pollen allergies, and were told the wildflower honey was the best bet. And then we asked about the raw honeycomb shown above.

We were immediately offered a sample of the honeycomb. Heck, why not! Are we supposed to eat the wax comb? Some people do, but most swallow the tasty honey and spit out the wax.  The honeycomb was a delicious treat and we bought one of those too!

Bennett's Honey Farm was founded by Red and Ann Bennett and is currently owned by Chip and Taydee Vannoy. They produce their own honey right here in Ventura County under brands "Topanga Quality Honey" (found at Whole Foods and other specialty markets) and "Piru Canyon Honey" found at farmers' market and fruit stands in local counties.

To learn more, visit www.bennetthoney.com or call 805.521.1375.

Somis Nut House Has Been a Ventura County Tradition Since 1959

/
SomisNut_sign.JPG

The Somis Nut House has served the cravings of Ventura County residents since 1959. Originally it was a walnut processing plant that processed locally grown walnuts in the area. Today it serves up a wide selection of nuts, interesting snacks, trail mixes, seeds, candies, dried fruits, other edibles and gift baskets.

SomisNut_inside1.jpg

What I really like about this place is that it is a throwback to another era. The inside of the Somis Nut House looks as if it has never changed. Although the original founder of the store passed away in 2009, his family continues to operate the Nut House.

Front of the store from the 118 (Los Angeles Ave) east of Bradley Road.

Front of the store from the 118 (Los Angeles Ave) east of Bradley Road.

One might ask, why would I want to drive from, say, Thousand Oaks, to buy nuts at the Somis Nut House? We can go to Trader Joes, Sprouts, Lassens, Whole Foods, etc. Well, I'll tell you that none of those places have the same retro ambiance and great selection of the Somis Nut House! And the freshness of the items here is outstanding.

The Somis Nut House is located at 4475 E. Los Angeles Avenue in Somis. From Thousand Oaks, take the Santa Rosa Road exit off the 101 and turn right. Take a left on Adolfo to Lewis Road, where you'll turn right (north) until you reach Los Angeles Avenue. Turn left and your destination will in a mile on the right.

More information at www.somisnuthouse.com or call 805.386.1211.

Somis is an unincorporated community of about 3,000 residents in Ventura County that was established in 1892. The name Somis means “water of the scrub oak” in the Chumash language, indicating the presence of water.

SomisNut_inside2.jpg

Would You Like Slides with That? Fast Food Places in Ventura County with Play Areas!

/
McD_PlayArea.jpg

Sometimes it's fun to take the kids out where you know they'll be able to burn off some steam after their chicken nuggets and fries. Mind you, my kids much prefer going to a park to play, but sometimes it’s nice to eat and play at these (mostly) indoor play areas.

Here are places to eat that have play areas.  Know of other places?  Well then, give me the scoop (the news, not the fries).

McDonalds Locations with Play Areas

Carl's Jr Locations with Play Areas

Chick-fil-A Locations with Play Areas

Other Places with Play Areas