FARMERS MARKETS CROP UP DLIM : AREA FARMERS MARKETS.Byline: Alicia Doyle Daily News Staff Writer Bunny Peters comes for the strawberries: The kind of strawberries that take not one, but three bites to eat - plump, red, juicy berries picked strategically by hand, strawberries so ripe they demand immediate consumption. ``You'll never find strawberries this fresh in a store,'' said the Simi Valley Simi Valley (sē`mē, sĭm`ē), city (1990 pop. 100,217), Ventura co., SW Calif. in an oil, fruit, and farm region; laid out 1887, inc. 1969. mom. ``This is vine-ripened stuff. These can only be found at the farmers market.'' Peters is among a core of faithful followers who flock to the Simi Valley market on Tapo Street each Wednesday. Though cold weather has recently dwindled the number of fruit and vegetable vendors, business is expected to skyrocket within the next several weeks, said market owner Jim Weir James "Jim" McIntosh Weir (born June 15, 1969 in Motherwell, Scotland) is a professional football player. He is currently the player/manager of Montrose. Playing career . ``We're just coming out of the winter - it takes awhile for people to come back,'' said Weir, president of Farmers Market Benefit Corp., a nonprofit organization Nonprofit Organization An association that is given tax-free status. Donations to a non-profit organization are often tax deductible as well. Notes: Examples of non-profit organizations are charities, hospitals and schools. that promotes farmers markets for Ventura County growers. ``Farmers markets die down in the winter - it's just a seasonal thing. But we're beginning to pick up now.'' The weekly market made its debut in June with hopes to lure new customers to the Tapo Street business district. Located between Cochran Street and Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. Avenue, the area has suffered since the Northridge Earthquake The Northridge earthquake occurred on January 17, 1994 at 4:31 AM Pacific Standard Time in the city of Los Angeles, California. The earthquake had a "strong" moment magnitude of 6. destroyed the Pic 'N' Save Pic 'N' Save was, at one time, the second-largest closeout retail chain in the United States. Financial troubles caused the chain to close many of the markets in the late-1990s and early-2000s. and Sears outlet stores in January 1994. A study group of city and business officials spent several months looking at ways to revitalize business along the retail strip. The group decided that a farmers market would help bring shoppers back. The market initially featured 15 to 20 growers who sold a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, herbs, flowers and fresh bread. This season, Weir expects up to 30 vendors to sell everything from edible flowers For hundreds of years, edible flowers have been gathered and consumed. Just as the leaves and roots of some flowering plants can be eaten; various flowers, which can be used to decorate a room, can also be used to decorate foods and are considered edible. to hand-made plum jam. Pesticide-free peaches, cherries and oranges are expected to sell quickly. Customers are urged to come early for the preservative-free cinnamon bread, coconut macaroons and pineapple upside-down cake upside-down cake n. A single-layer cake baked with sliced fruit at the bottom, then served with the fruit side up. Noun 1. upside-down cake made from scratch. ``People come for the freshness,'' said Weir, who sells the market's strawberries. He then tantalized a customer with his fragrant fruit. ``In order to get a fresher strawberry, you'd have to get out in the field and pick it yourself.'' Market groupies also come for the prices. A basket of giant strawberries, for instance, might go for $1.25, red roses $12 a dozen. Lemon grass lem·on·grass also lemon grass n. A tropical grass (Cymbopogon citratus) native to southern India and Sri Lanka, yielding an aromatic oil used as flavoring and in perfumery and medicine. Noun 1. - a hard-to-find root often used in Thai cooking - is $2 a bushel bushel: see English units of measurement. . ``The freshness and taste of the food just doesn't compare to something shipped from another country and sold in a market,'' said Cindy Martin of Granada Hills, who grows the market's organic marjoram marjoram or sweet marjoram (mär`jərəm), Old World perennial aromatic herb (Marjorana hortensis) of the family Labiatae (mint family), cultivated in gardens for flavoring. , thyme, rosemary and sage on a Moorpark farm. Like most vendors, Martin welcomes questions from buyers concerned with the use of pesticides, sprays and other nonorganic growing methods. She also encourages customers to touch and feel the product before making a purchase. ``Here, they can touch and feel and smell what they're buying. Vendors want to talk and listen,'' she said. Jean Rudell, a Simi Valley resident for 36 years, said the farmers market on Tapo Street is perfect for the heart of the city. ``I grew up on a farm in Wisconsin, so I've always liked the outside scene,'' Rudell said. ``There's supermarkets all over the place. I don't like supermarkets. You know what I mean?'' When and where to find Ventura County's farmers markets: Simi Valley - 2 p.m. to dark Wednesdays, 2273 Tapo St., between Cochran Street and Los Angeles Avenue. Moorpark - 3 to 6 p.m. Saturdays, Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles Avenue and Spring Road. Thousand Oaks - 2 p.m. to dusk Thursdays, east end of The Oaks mall parking lot, off Ventura Freeway, Lynn Road exit. CAPTION(S): 3 Photos, Box Photo: (1--Ran in Simi edition only--Color) A vendor at the Simi Valley farmers market hangs his ``free samples'' sign. (2--Color) Golden raisins are among the farmers market's homegrown items. (3--Color) Tibor, left, and Julianna Rozsa set up their produce stand at Thursday's Simi Valley farmers market, which has some of the freshest foods around. Andy Holzman/Special to the Daily News Box: AREA FARMERS MARKETS (See text) |
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