Vendors mix farming, agri-tourism
By Fred Alvarez
Los Angeles Times
VENTURA, Calif. — It's not exactly how Edgar Terry saw himself pushing produce when he started farming two decades ago.
Associated Press
But with his strawberry crop coming on strong, he decided to join the legions of local growers who hug the roadside to hawk their harvests.
Edgar Terry unloads fresh strawberries in front of his produce stand in Ventura, Calif., where roadside vendors uphold traditions and put a fresh face on an industry increasingly squeezed by suburban sprawl.
Along with his wife, Martha, he opened a roadside stand on Valentine's Day, selling strawberries six days a week at their east Ventura farm.
"I never thought I'd be growing strawberries," the fourth-generation grower said, "let alone opening a fruit stand. We just thought it would be a fun thing to do. And it helps promote what we're doing out here on the farm."
More than 50 produce stands dot the area's agricultural landscape, holding up traditions that run deep in Ventura County and putting the freshest and most natural face on an industry increasingly squeezed by suburban sprawl.
The first produce stands in the coastal county northwest of Los Angeles date back more than half a century, simple stalls designed to operate seasonally and help farmers sell excess produce. Many were the equivalent of old-fashioned lemonade stands, where a farmer's kid could earn some pocket change by peddling oranges or melons in the summer or after school.
But they have evolved into big business for some growers, providing a direct-marketing lifeline in the face of rising costs and retail consolidation.
They also highlight the best of what Ventura County has to offer, serving as a source for fruit baskets at Christmas, flowers at Easter and sweet corn on the Fourth of July.
"If you talk about agriculture in general, produce stands provide a pretty small impact to the farm economy," said Craig Underwood, who operates two stands. "But it has a pretty good impact on guys like us who are just trying to keep a small farm operating."
Underwood opened his first stand in Somis in 1980, then partnered nine years ago with another grower to open the Tierra Rejada Family Farm near Moorpark.
Both operations have grown substantially. In addition to local produce, both businesses feature petting zoos and other farm-themed amusements to attract families. The Tierra Rejada farm offers a pick-your-own operation, school tours and a harvest festival.
Underwood estimates that the operations, along with the farm's other direct-marketing efforts, account for a quarter of the company's business.
"It's pretty hard to get people to take a special trip unless there's something more than fresh produce," Underwood said.
County regulators say they have attempted to keep pace with the evolving industry, including revisions of zoning laws in the mid-1990s to allow the emerging mix of agriculture and entertainment, sometimes dubbed agri-tourism.
There are still seasonal operations, especially this time of year. But planners say many of the stands are year-round operations, where farmers offer their own crops and those of other growers.
"Farmers are looking to be as profitable as they can be, and direct marketing of their produce has become an important income stream," said Todd Collart, manager of the Ventura County Zoning Department. "We've allowed a good amount of flexibility to stay in line with the industry's needs and promote local agriculture."
Although that may be true, agricultural officials say there are still challenges facing the industry.
Rex Laird, executive director of the county farm bureau, said concerns remain about stands that primarily sell produce from outside the county. Laird said he also is concerned "that we not turn agriculture into a movie set and that people not lose sight of what this industry is really about."
The drive along California 126 could easily provide a movie-set backdrop. Tucked among the orange groves of the Santa Clara Valley, the produce stands that dot this scenic highway are among the county's oldest and most popular.
The roadway is lined with signs hawking honey, almonds, oranges and pink grapefruit. One stand sells cactus. Another, weeks old and housed in a big red barn, sells flowers from Oxnard and strawberries from Fillmore.
Former farm worker Manuel Cornejo is believed to have been the first to set up shop along this stretch, selling corn and then oranges in the 1970s near Fillmore. Today, his family runs Cornejo's Produce and Francisco Fruits.
"We just thought it would be a fun thing to do," he recalled.
