On Saturday, November 5, more than 15 Ventura County farms, ranches and agricultural organizations will invite the public to experience a day of free agricultural activities and tours during the 10th Annual Ventura County Farm Day. This year's theme is "Meet All The Hands That Feed You."
Visitors can map out their day by selecting locations from the Farm Day Trail Map at https://venturacountyfarmday.com/map. Each site offers tours and produce and other giveaways. Tour hours are from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Some locations require reservations.
"Agriculture is Ventura County’s largest industry. Farm Day is the opportunity to see how fruits and vegetables are grown, harvested and then shipped to stores for sale,” says Mary Maranville, founder and CEO of the nonprofit Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture (SEEAG), which puts on Ventura County Farm Day each year. “You’ll come away with an appreciation of the hard work that goes into growing each piece of produce.”
“There are thousands of food-producing acres in Ventura County,” says Chris Sayer, manager of Petty Ranch in Somis. “The variety of what’s grown on our local lands is astounding—strawberries, celery, lemons, tomatoes, peppers and avocados are just a few. Farm Day is an opportunity to see the growing process up close.”
Ventura County Farm Day sponsors include The Wood-Claeyssens Foundation, Driscoll’s, Gene Haas Foundation, Kaiser Permanente, Bobalu Berry Farms, Ventura County Agricultural Commissioner, The Port of Hueneme and Reiter Affiliated Companies.
SEEAG’s mission is to help children understand the farm origins of their food through classroom agricultural and nutrition education and free farm field trips. Through this and other SEEAG programs, over 60,000 elementary school students in Central and Southern California have increased their understanding of the food journey since SEEAG’s founding in 2008.
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2022 Participating Ag Operations include:
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Camarillo
- MCGRATH FAMILY FARM - Find out all about what makes our organic, regenerative farm so fruitful from composting to soil regeneration. We’ll be doing a CSA Box raffle with every tour! Start and end your tour at The STORE where special Farm Day discounts will apply! Require Registration . Our half-hour tours will highlight the legacy of the McGrath Farm and explain our collaborative farming example that is carrying that legacy into the future and bringing new farmers on board. See behind the scenes where your food comes from and how beneficial local organic produce can be for your entire family.
- TURNING POINT FOUNDATIONS GROWING WORKS
Saticoy
- PETTY RANCH : Petty Ranch is the host of the Farm Day Hub, where we will be offering tours and have additional special guests and activities!
Petty Ranch is an avocado, lemon, and fig orchard. We employ cover crops, beneficial insects, and highly efficient irrigation to produce the best fruit possible. We are also home to SEEAG’s farm-based educational program Farm Lab, where 3rd Graders learn about California Agriculture, insects, soil, and plant biology.
Ventura
- SA-ALIYAS RANCH
- SEEAG : Come meet our team out at Petty Ranch where we will be discussing our on-farm education programs! SEEAG is the organizer of Farm Day! Founded in 2008, we have educated over 65,000 students and community members about the farm origins of their food and agriculture’s contribution to nutritional well-being. Our 100% cost-free education programs include Farm Lab, the Child Wellness Initiative, STEM Careers in AG, and Farm Day in both Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties.
Oxnard
- REITER AFFILIATE COMPANY : Come visit us at McGrath Beach Ranch and learn about the genetics and research behind the berries we grow. See and hear about how we grow traditional in-ground strawberries and how sustainable farming practices are playing their part in the future of farming on our ranch. Sample berries while learning about our farmworker health and wellness initiatives and philanthropic activities in the community.
- VCAAA SENIOR NUTRITION GARDEN - Visit our two-acre organic polyculture farm growing 50 different varieties of fruits and vegetables! Maintained primarily by volunteers, all the produce harvested is donated to seniors throughout Ventura County who need it most. See how the farm uses organic, human-scale (e.g. no tractors) growing methods to cultivate, care for, and harvest all sorts of fruits and veggies!
- AGROMIN : plays a big role in our state’s thriving agricultural industry. Come see the compost process from the acceptance of organic material, transformation into compost or mulch, and the many finished products used by agriculture!
Agromin transforms organic waste from Ventura County into compost used by agriculture, landscapers, and homeowners returning carbon into the soil thus reducing greenhouse gases and their contribution to global warming. - DRISCOLL : Sample some of our delicious Oxnard-grown berries!
Driscoll’s is committed to growing only the Finest Berries. Family-owned and operated for over 100 years, berries are all that we do. Visit us and Reiter Affiliated Companies at McGrath Beach Ranch. - GOODFARMS MAKING A DIFFERENCE - We welcome the community to visit our farm and learn the art of how we harvest strawberries. The community is invited to see the large equipment used at the farm as well as learn of the new innovative technologies that help improve the harvester’s life and care for our soil. Hope to see you there!
- Be sure to stop by the Oxnard Historic Farm Park for music, food and a variety of historic and agricultural demonstrations, from printing presses to hit and miss engines.
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Somis
- ALPACAS AT WINDY HILL : is a full-service breeding and boarding facility located on 25 acres of prime agricultural property in the rolling hills of Ventura County, California. Sunshine and cool ocean breezes provide an ideal environment for the health and well-being of our alpacas. Come visit our sanctuary and learn more about how we raise Suri and Huacaya alpacas for breeding, showing and alpaca fiber production.
Santa Paula
- Take a guided wagon tour of HAREC (Hansen Agricultural Research & Extension Center) and learn about their ongoing agricultural research. Wagon tours will be held at 10 am, 11 am, 12 noon and 1 pm to tour the farm and learn from farm advisers about the different agricultural and horticultural research projects going on, including a cover crop demonstration, compost tea experiment, blackberry and raspberry variety evaluation, climate-ready landscape tree project, and rose fertilization project. Afterwards, people will be able to amble through the corn maze and Master Gardener demonstration garden and ask Master Gardeners about composting, fruit growing, succulents, and how to encourage pollinators. Water, snacks, and fruit will be available
Ventura County Farm Day is organized by the nonprofit Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture (SEEAG). SEEAG’s mission is to help children understand the farm origins of their food and benefits of proper nutrition through classroom agricultural education and free farm field trips.
Ventura County Farm Day sponsors include Ventura County Coast, Farm Credit West, Brokaw Nursery, Al Lowe Construction and Ventura County Agricultural Association.
For more information about Ventura County Farm Day, go to https://www.venturacountyfarmday.com/ or call 805-901-0213.
***This is a sponsored post and Ventura County Farm Day and SEEAG is a Macaroni Kid sponsor. **
