Local Buzz covers new businesses, restaurants, closures, local politics, goings on around town and other buzzworthy items in the Conejo Valley and Greater Ventura County. Have a lead? Contact us. Click here for an archive of Local Buzz postings.
Local Buzz covers new restaurants, closures, local politics, goings on around town and other buzzworthy items in the Conejo Valley and Greater Ventura County. Have a lead? Contact us. Click here for an archive of Local Buzz postings.
Post other items directly to the Community Announcements section of the site.
Lucas C was excited to share that the first Sonic Drive-Thru in Ventura County is finally coming next spring, to Fillmore. The Fillmore Gazette shared an image of a sign at the corner of Orange Grove and SR-26 in Fillmore. This is about a 20 mile drive, 35-40 minutes from Thousand Oaks via SR-23 via Grimes Canyon. The nearest Sonic locations to the Conejo Valley now are in Duarte and Palmdale. www.sonicdrivein.com
The City of Santa Paula, in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce and Enriched Farms, is excited to announce the installation of a new and unique certified farmers market experience beginning Friday, August 27. The inaugural event will kick off at 3 p.m. with a ribbon cutting ceremony and opening remarks.
The new Santa Paula Certified Farmers Market, which will take place every Friday from 3 to 7 p.m. along East Santa Barbara St. between North 10th St. (Hwy 150) and North Mill St. in front of our historic Train Depot, will showcase locally certified fruits and produce from growers such as Prancers Farm and Espinoza Farm along with shops and food from over thirty vendors. Santa Paulans and visitors alike are encouraged to come out and enjoy all that beautiful Santa Paula has to offer.
Looking for a tasty quick bite or a fun Friday night dinner? Look no further than Santa Paula’s Certified Farmer Market, which is set to feature many restaurants and food businesses. Try something new, such as:
Brothers Products - various hummus flavors, pita bread and pita chips, mediterranean salads and dips
Davilas Pupuseria - featuring delicious pupusas
Keto Sweets LA - baked keto brownies and breads (gluten free and diabetic friendly)
MeGusta Gourmet Tamales and Thai Chicken - award winning tamales
Salsa Acapulco - fresh salsa of various kinds, guacamole and various ceviches
Alongside the delicious local food stalls, attendees will find local businesses and merchants selling their popular and skillfully crafted products. From locally grown flowers from Pattys Farm to 100% locally produced honey from BlueRidge Honey, the Santa Paula Certified Farmers Market is sure to have something for everyone.
To top it all off, the Santa Paula Certified Farmers Market is the only farmers market with a wine and beer tasting section in Ventura County for adults to enjoy! Visitors may shop around for their favorite local products, grab a meal or snack, and then end their Friday night with tastes from local wine, beer and cider makers. In addition, shoppers can enjoy local live musical entertainment from local musicians while winding down the week. The wine and beer tasting area, alongside the delicacies showcased at the market, ensures the Santa Paula Farmers Market will be the perfect place to spend Friday evenings and grab local produce for the weekend.
The end of an era in Ventura County. Sears at the Pacific View Mall in Ventura is on a list of 96 Sears and Kmart stores slated to close their doors. Additionally, the Kmart store in Santa Paula is on this list.
Going out of business sales will commence on December 2nd and the stores will close by February 2020.
There will be no more Sears retail stores in Ventura County after this closure,
The Camarillo Kmart is closing in December. That leave no more Kmart stores in Ventura County too.
List of 96 closures at THIS LINK.
The Ventura Ranch KOA in Santa Paula was significantly affected by the December 2017 Thomas Fire and was closed for awhile as a result. However, it is now open and taking reservations, but with limited services, amenities, and activities as they continue the process of rebuilding.
All electric and water RV sites are now open and many tent sites are available. New cabins are being built, and along with the safari tents, teepees and pool, are expected to be open by the end of June.
Learn more at koa.com/campgrounds/ventura-ranch.
Every Picture Tells a Story - From Presidents to Pop Stars
Personal Collection of Journalist Ivor Davis
August 3 - December 18, 2015
Monday- Thursday, 8 am to 8:30 pm
Ventura College Santa Paula Campus
957 Faulkner Road, Rm 106, Santa Paula, CA 93060
Reception with Ivor Davis and Book Signing
Thursday, September 24 - 6 to 8 pm
The following is from the University of California Cooperative Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources Ventura County issued last month in response to the Santa Paula Rotary announcement that the 2014 Faulker Farm Pumpkin Patch in Santa Paula has been cancelled. Learn more about UCCE Agriculture and Natural Resources Ventura County at ceventura.ucanr.edu.
10 Facts about UC Hansen Agricultural Research and Extension Center (UC HAREC) and the Pumpkin Patch at Faulkner Farm
What is UC Hansen Agriculture Research and Extension Center?
Established in 1997 through an endowment set up by Thelma Hansen, UC HAREC is one of the University of California’s nine Research and Extension Centers. UC HAREC performs agricultural research and has crop and tree demonstration areas. Crops are also grown for farm field trips through which students learn where their food comes from, and there are demonstration gardens for students and visitors.
What is UC’s relationship to the Faulkner Farm Pumpkin Patch?
Since purchasing the property in 1997, UC allowed the Ayers’ (original owners) pumpkin patch to continue operation during its first year and then worked with Litchfield Farms from 1998 through 2005 on a pumpkin patch that included educational programs during the week for school children. In 2006, Litchfield Farms did not renew their lease and in the winter of 2007 the Rotary Club of Santa Paula submitted a proposal to run the pumpkin patch.
Will there be a Rotary Club of Santa Paula pumpkin patch at HAREC this year?
We are still waiting to hear from the Rotary Club of Santa Paula on whether or not they want to use HAREC for their pumpkin patch. They have until May 30 to decide if our facility meets their requirements and let us know.
Have we limited the pumpkin patch to one acre?
No. We are currently expanding our agricultural research and educational offerings including new partnerships with the Ventura Unified School District/Food Corps program and additional countywide academic-year school field trips, which require more acreage. This expansion limits the amount of land available to the pumpkin patch. The UC HAREC is in the process of finalizing the long-term research project requests. Once projects are awarded we may be in a position to offer additional space.
Is this the first year a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) has been requested for the pumpkin patch?
No. The University of California made Santa Paula Rotary Club aware of a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) requirement when they assumed control of the pumpkin patch in 2007 as a fundraising event for their club. The University of California reiterated the need for the club to obtain a CUP for the Rotary Club’s pumpkin patch from the County in 2010 and in 2012. We simply cannot assume all liability for their event.
What is a Conditional Use Permit (CUP)?
A conditional use permit (CUP) allows a city or county to consider special uses that may be essential or desirable to a particular community, but which are not allowed as a matter of right within a zoning district. A conditional use permit can provide flexibility within a zoning ordinance.
Are there other pumpkin patches in the county?
Yes! While we understand that many community members have long memories of the Faulkner Farm pumpkin patch, over the years Ventura County has been fortunate to add a wide variety of pumpkin patches throughout the county. Here is a 2013 list from the Conejo Valley Guide of a variety of pumpkin patches offered by our local Ventura County farmers. 2013 Pumpkin Patches in Ventura County www.conejovalleyguide.com/welcome/pumpkin-patches-in-ventura-county-and-adjacent-areas.html
Agritourism can be a real boon to small farmers and can even help keep them in business during hard times, like the drought that we are currently experiencing.
My family/kids enjoyed visiting the Faulkner Farm, may we still do so?
Absolutely. In fact, on Thursday, May 8th , HAREC opened to the public all day for the CE 100 Year Celebration - Day of Science and Service. ceventura.ucanr.edu/ANR_Centennial_/
What other events/activities are typically held at HAREC?
Check out our calendar of events for more information at ceventura.ucanr.edu/?calendar=yes&g=63579
A sampling of typical events, programs and/or activities at HAREC include 4-H Youth Field Trips every Tuesday and Thursday, FoodCorps Student Farm Project, Master Gardener Workshops, Sustainability Camp for Youth and many more.
More on UC HAREC at ucanr.edu/sites/hansenagcenter.
The Santa Paula Rotary recently announced the cancellation of the 2014 Faulkner Farm Pumpkin Patch "due to actions taken by the University of California and the Hansen Trust Advisory Board" Approximately 20,000 people visit the patch each year.
Hay mazes at the Faulkner Farm Pumpkin Patch in a previous year.
According to the press release, the Santa Paula Pumpkin Patch Committee attempted to work with the Hansen Trust to permit the Pumpkin Patch to run for an additional transitional year while a new venue was sought. But "UC chose to discriminate against the Rotary Club by establishing new conditions and barriers which are not uniformly applied to other UC campuses and property throughout the state, or even at the Hansen Trust, making it impossible for the Rotary operated Faulkner Farm Pumpkin Patch to continue" according to the Rotary. More background on the situation at www.faulknerfarmpumpkinpatch.com/information.html.
To justify its actions, UC/Hansen Trust stated that the professional exhibits provided by the Resource Conservation District, United Water Conservation District, Limoneira, CoLab, Calavo, the Cattleman’s Association, Rincon-Vitova Insectaries, Associates Insectary, FFA petting area & Briggs 4-H seed exhibit were of poor quality and no educational value. The educational hayride script and school program, developed by Hansen Trust staff, were also deemed educationally meaningless. Interestingly, 63% of the people visiting the Pumpkin Patch last year (a significantly higher number than the total visiting the farm for the entire remaining 11 months of the year) said they learned something new about agriculture during their visit.
To learn more, visit www.faulknerfarmpumpkinpatch.com. The Rotary Club of Santa Paula encourages the public to share your thoughts about the actions taken by UC and the Hansen Trust with Ms. Janet Napolitano, President, University of California, Office of the President, 1111 Franklin St, Oakland, CA 94607 or President@ucop.edu.
The Premiere Exhibition of “The Vernacular Bestiary” and a Call for Poetry
From March 1 through June 15, 2014, the Museum of Ventura County’s Agriculture Museum in Santa Paula will present the first exhibition of “The Vernacular Bestiary: Animal Snapshots from A to Z.” This collection of anonymous amateur photographs has been collected by photographer and gallerist John Nichols over the past two decades and has never been publiclyexhibited.
Dog, from The Vernacular Bestiary, John Nichols Collection
The abecedarian display of creatures is comprised of photographs taken over the past 120 years. An adjacent kids’ reading and exhibit area will encourage children and their families to read and write poems, as well as draw and display their own responses to the animal-themed exhibition. Animal poems by published poets will also be shared, in binders that can be carried around the exhibition area.
Fish, from The Vernacular Bestiary, John Nichols Collection
Call for Poetry: Writers are invited to preview selections from The Vernacular Bestiary online immediately at http://flic.kr/s/aHsj5133kr or see the original snapshots at the Agriculture Museum, beginning on March 1. They may submit up to three original poems of up to 25 lines each inspired by any of the snapshots. Submission implies that the poems can be used by the Agriculture Museum non-commercially to publicize the exhibit (credit will be given) and copyright reverts back to author. Poems must be submitted to VBpoem@gmail.com by March 29. A panel of judges will select poems to be shared at the “An Afternoon of Animal Verse” to take place in April. Poets will be contacted and asked to read their selected poems at the event; poet Jackson Wheeler will read the poems of any who cannot attend.
The Museum of Ventura County Agriculture Museum is located at 926 Railroad Avenue, Santa Paula. Information about the museum can be found at www.venturamuseum.org or call 805.525.3100. Museum hours: Tuesday – Sunday, 10 – 4. For more information about the exhibition and the call for poetry, contact John Nichols at sespenichols@gmail.com or at (805) 525-7804.
Colt, from The Vernacular Bestiary, John Nichols Collection
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