Back to Underwood Family Farms again for Strawberry picking! I do not know what it is, but these…read morestrawberries are some of the best I've had. Do they taste better because I picked them myself? I don't know! Yes? Regardless, they are delicious. The staff here is always so friendly and they are so welcoming to large groups. This is a great place to run the kids around and there are plenty of activities you can do for free or a small cost, like animal feeding, rides etc. My son loves all the playgrounds! Definitely recommend Underwood if you are looking for a party venue! The kids love it and it's a beautiful space!

I always stop at the somis location on my way home from Ventura. I love taking the back roads for…read morethe scenic views. I stop at their cute farm store to pick up fresh produce and see what goodies they offer. Everything looks so fresh and displayed very cute. I enjoy seeing what they offer seasonally and making new recipes at home from the seasonal produce i purchased. Sometimes it's a little pricey. That's the only downfall to me. I would buy more of its wasn't as expensive. But they do offer a punch card for frequent shoppers. I always make sure to use my punch card. I also enjoy walking to the side of the game stand and visiting the cute animals. It's a small little quick trip compared to the main farm but I always enjoy it.

Love, love, love Frog Creek Farm. Can't believe that they have been in business for over a decade…read moreand I just heard about them recently. We had been to another lavender farm in the upper Ojai Valley some years ago and I was looking for that info to return. That one has closed, but thankfully, Frog Creek Farm is a wonderful "find" for us. The lavender full blossom season is short, so you need to check on them via social media to find out when they are open. Instagram has current info. It's a delight to pull off the Ojai/Santa Paula Road and mosey on to their property. They have so much to see, including their cutting garden of seasonal flowers, some places to sit at picnic tables in the shade and even swing (i.e., hammock), the gift shop, and the lavender rows - the main event. Larry provides a great introduction at the small stand adjacent to the flowering beds. He describes the location and how to identify the five kinds of lavender they offer for cutting. For 2025 pricing - $16 earns you a generous bunch of fragrant blooms. After orientation, you are off with a basket to collect the stems, and scissors to do your own cutting / harvesting. As promised, the plentiful bees scattered away as we leaned in to cut the stems close to the main host bushes. We wandered among the rows and filled up our gathering basket. Back at the stand, Larry tied our haul into a beautiful bunch. We proceeded to the gift shop to pay for our pickings, and I also found a few other items to purchase, including lavender-infused spray which has many purposes. Christel greeted us as we were wrapping up our visit. She filled us in as we asked questions about how long they'd been there, as well as about some of their products. She's as sweet and charming as the farm is. What a lovely place to visit. We'll be putting it on the to-do list next summer, for sure!

It's always such a wonderful experience at Frog Creek Farm…read more Arriving at the farm, you just feel like you are transported somewhere else. From the personal lavender lesson, to the hands on cutting, shopping the lavender shed to sipping amazing lavender lemonade under the trees, it's such a wonderful way to spend an afternoon. Christel and Larry are just the nicest people. They make you feel so welcome to be visiting their little slice of heaven. We love this annual tradition.

Many thanks to this private farm supporting Santa Barbara Farm Day! This is a family own farm…read moreproducing avocados to wholesale within California and into the Northwest! According to the farm 80 percent of avocados are from farms outside US, support local farms within Us like this one. Thanks for the great tour, answering guest questions from production to storing avocados for maximum quality. I appreciate your patience as we learn about avocados farms! Keep up the good great work in supporting local farming!

Stopped in for strawberries, not to pick strawberries as it was midday and the Sun was strong. Very…read morecute farm stand but the biggest takeaway for me was the person there, I believe her name was Kennedy(?). She was SO nice, respectful, and knowledgeable - I was completely blown away by her as a good human being. I've gotten so used to bad behavior being the norm and it was so refreshing to meet her. She told us about the farm, farmers, and the strawberries were delicious. The stand was nicely stocked with a good variety. We walked around the grounds after and it was so beautiful and so many veggies, flowers, and herbs were flourishing. Looking forward to come back to pick some goodies.

Officially my go-to for strawberry picking. My parents found this place and our whole family came…read morehere. Nobody else was picking but there were billions (just kidding, I don't know how many actually) of beautifully red ripe strawberries hanging heavy off of their leaves. The strawberry rows were flanked by lovely sunflower and flower rows. The whole farm is a lovely refreshing sight from the city scene, with the big open blue sky and hills in the distance, and cute farm aesthetics everywhere, like the rusty old pickup truck that resembles Tow Mater (from Pixar's Cars movie) behind the bright purple flowers in front, and wooden wagons and the wood painted structures of the store and bathrooms. It's nicely fenced in off the main highway but there's a small road between the highway and farm so it's quiet and you can't even tell that the highway is there. There were SO many gorgeously red strawberries everywhere! We picked nearly two boxes full, they provide large cardboard boxes with the little green plastic cartons inside. So enjoyable to spend time picking in such clean, well kept rows of fruit. The store where you pay for the fruit and entrance fees also sells a variety of vegetables and preserves and various other rustic things. The woman tending the store was sweet and gave us so many tips on keeping and washing and preparing the strawberries. We couldn't stop eating them ever since we got home. I just made strawberry tarts with them and they are so sweet and delicious. So excited to come back in future years! Two boxes is not enough of glorious springtime-summery sweetness!

Sadly this farmers market does not seem to exist anymore. We drove up to Santa Paula on Saturday…read moremorning to shop the farmers market but we couldn't find it at any of the addresses posted here or online (and it's not a very big town.) When we asked around we were told it hadn't really "taken off" so it just folded. Downtown Santa Paula is charming however!

I've been playing live music there for a while. It has a great atmosphere, and lots of great food…read moreas well as being connected Anna's Cider. It's not far from Ventura. Just zip down the freeway and check it out.

The five stars go to strawberries! They are flavorful, juicy, and aromatic! They taste real unlike…read morethe "plastic" ones from the grocery stores.

They are very welcoming! Years ago the owner sold us a lemon tree, it's still in my backyard. The…read moreproduce, nuts and dried fruits are great. Definitely worth the drive from the OC.

Big fan of Rio Gozo…read more We joined the CSA a few seasons ago after hearing friends rave about them. I have really high standards and at first, I was a bit concerned about not directly choosing what is in my box (both content and quality) and having too much produce. My concerns faded within the first few weeks. The quality is superb - John and Elizabeth at Rio Gozo have high standards - and they grow beautiful, delicious varieties. The quantity is perfect for our family. When we've got a bit too much we just share with our friends and neighbors, or turn into rich soil amendment via compost. I love supporting local agriculture and being part of a rich community, but to be perfectly candid -- the biggest benefits to me are the time and money savings. I enjoy going to Farmers Market but I can't always get there -- and when I do, I often go overboard and spend a ton. Now I have a fridge full of fresh local organic produce in exchange for a very little amount of cash and time, and it's fun discovering new foods and varieties.

Tuesdays are "Ranchero John Day" at our house! We've been members of Rio Gozo since shortly after…read moreit started delivering to Ventura. We began by sharing a box with a friend. We soon found that we could use the entire box so committed to a year to have home delivery. The convenience of having it delivered at home has been great. It is not easy for us to make it out to the farmers markets that do have organic produce and we have been greatly disappointed by the absence of any organic produce at the Ventura Farmers Market downtown on Saturdays. Other reviews likely rave about the food itself -- so I will keep this part brief. It is fabulous. It is fresh, rich, and filled with flavor and nutrients. It is incredible to experience the different taste and texture of vegetables picked that morning. They have begun expanding by offering eggs and organic, fair trade coffee. Sometimes there are some fruits included in the haul. I look forward to them developing more organic fruit sources -- as we would love more fruit. One of our favorite aspects of Rio Gozo is that it is a calling for John and Elizabeth -- far from just an income. They truly want people to have a connection with their food source -- to know where their food comes from. And this means knowing both their farmers and the farm itself. We enjoy getting to see "Ranchero John" to talk food, farms, children and much more under the sun every week. Whenever we have a question during the week -- we hear back quickly from Elizabeth when we email. And without knowing your farmer -- how can you develop trust in the food source you are giving your family? I was concerned about lead and how it is outside the organic certification requirements. I talked with John about this and he noted that one can, of course, separately test the soil for lead. I asked if they'd done so -- and he assured me they had and that it was not a problem in their soil. If you don't trust your farmer, how can you trust your food is not lead-laden? They also want people to be able to know the farm itself. One can very happily be a CSA member, enjoy the delicious, fresh, organic produce, and no more. But if one is interested in more -- that is an option with Rio Gozo. They hold potlucks on the farm -- where you can walk around with your family (including your dog), meet other CSA members, others who coordinate with the farm (such as their egg vendor), family and friends of John and Elizabeth and more, not to mention that there is delicious, fresh, organic food. You feel as if they are truly opening their home to you. That is -- they live on the farm -- that's not all that common anymore. This is not some agri-tainment gig with caged animals taken out for a stroll for a fee. This is their home. When the gathering is around Thanksgiving, their visiting family is there to visit with you. When you need to use the restroom, it is in their home. When the sun goes down, the fires are lit outside and there is campfire music. If we want to visit the farm any other time -- we are always welcome. Recently, we were out when "Ranchero John" came by our home with the veggies. Our 3 year old was so sad to have missed him that we went to the farm the next afternoon. We did not have to make any special arrangements -- we just showed up and were welcomed. Our son loves walking around the farm -- seeing where his food comes from, pulling up a carrot fresh from the dirt, nipping off an edible flower from the arugula, getting his boots really muddy . . . . The connection our son has with the farm and farmers is such a gift to us -- from his understanding of food and its source to his sheer joy in touching and tasting at the farm. Our 9 month old daughter is just beginning to enjoy the weekly visits as well. We open up the cooler for her on the porch, she peers inside at all the veggies, and dives in. To feel that it is safe (and healthy, no less) for her to chew whatever she wishes to pick out, is such a joy for us (yes -- we watch for choking hazards). When there are flowers in the haul, we are not worried about the children touching the flowers (let alone taking a bite) for fear of pesticides that then go in their mouths when their hands inevitably enter their mouths. It's all available to them -- that's a wonderful, safe, feeling to give them. I highly recommend this CSA - it's the next best thing to your own (organic) family farm - without having to worry about Mother Nature.

amazing spot in the middle of the city! we need more spaces like this in the communityread more

This community garden is absolutely fantastic and is such a great way to bring the community…read moretogether. Stopped in and learned a few things. Angela, who runs the program here, was so knowledgeable and helpful! She answered all our questions and gave us a tour of the place. She mentioned they have volunteer days here on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Volunteers can learn about all kinds of things with maintaining a garden from harvesting and planting. Volunteers can even take some produce home as long as they're ready for harvesting! On Saturdays, once volunteer hours are over, they gather round and have a potluck made from food they've harvested. If you don't want to get down and dirty in the garden, you can volunteer to cook for the gathering. Definitely will return soon and contribute to this great org!