Farm stands are not a substitute for the weekly grocery run. They are the stops worth building into it when the season and the list line up. Start in town on Sunday, then head east or up toward Upper Ojai when a stand is the reason for the drive.
Sunday market first
The Ojai Certified Farmers’ Market sets up in the Matilija Street parking lot behind the Arcade. It is a practical starting point for fresh fruits and vegetables, local jams and honey, olive and walnut oil, free-range eggs, fresh flowers and succulents, and prepared food.
For a resident, the market is both an errand and a way to keep track of what the valley is producing. It also makes sense as the first stop for someone getting oriented in town. The Arcade is close, and the rest of the grocery list can wait until the market bags are sorted.
Friend’s Ranches when Pixies are in season
Friend’s Ranches grows avocados, honey, citrus, and Ojai Pixie tangerines. The ranch also appears at the Sunday market, which is the easier route when the rest of the errand is downtown.
The packing house is at 15150 Maricopa Highway. Its website carries seasonal tour information, and the ranch offers fresh-squeezed juice. If a packing-house visit is the point of the trip, check current details before leaving. For the property side of citrus land, read the guide to owning a Pixie tangerine ranch.
Ojai Olive Oil for the farm stop
Ojai Olive Oil is the stop for a ranch visit and tasting rather than a bottle picked up during a grocery errand. Ojai has two olive-oil ranches, and Ojai Olive Oil offers ranch tours and tastings.
Photograph by abrowncoat, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Flickr.
Its ranch context also connects this rotation to the places where agricultural land shapes daily life.
Boccali’s and Frog Creek Farm for seasonal errands
Boccali’s Pizza & Pasta grows tomatoes, basil, eggplant, peppers, onions, and garlic. Its Farm Fresh Produce Stand has offered excess produce and seasonal citrus on summer weekends, and the fall pumpkin patch is another seasonal stop. The stand is at 3277 Ojai Avenue. Check current availability before making the drive for a specific crop.
Frog Creek Farm is the other seasonal farm stop in this rotation. For part of the summer, visitors can pick lavender there. It is not a fixed weekly errand, so confirm the season before going.
Both stops make more sense when the drive itself suits the day.