What to Know
- "The Biggest Little Farm" screens at the Ventura County Fairgrounds on Nov. 1 at 6 p.m.
- $35-$75; Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture is the evening's beneficiary
- Ventura County Farm Day will offer virtual fun on Nov. 7
The happy rites of fall? They're numerous around Southern California, and each is lovely in its own spirit-raising way.
You and your family might spend an autumn Sunday hiking a favorite trail in Griffith Park, or messily enjoying caramel apples at the Original Farmers Market, or taking a drive to see foliage around Big Bear Lake.
And for many locals?
A must-do, when the year begins to mellow, is a golden day spent exploring the historic farms, roadside stands, food-growers and food-makers, and interesting agricultural spreads of Ventura County.
The name of this popular event is as clear as the peal of a cowbell: Ventura County Farm Day.
Since 2013, the come-visit celebration has been a way to connect curious people with the people who do so much, our regional farmers, and find out what goes into raising chickens, honey gathering, and the thousand essential tasks performed daily on a farm.
Ventura County Farm Day is still happening in 2020, but, like so many events, it is meeting the moment in inventive ways.
That means it won't happen as an in-person affair, but you will be able to join a virtual day out on the farm on Saturday, Nov. 7 through a host of online activities.
But wait: There is a get-together happening, one that involves communing, from a distance, in our cars.
It's a drive-in screening of the documentary "The Biggest Little Farm," the 2018 story of Apricot Lane Farms in Moorpark, and how John and Molly Chester left LA to follow their agra-awesome dreams.
The event is happening before the virtual Ventura County Farm Day, so plan to head for the Ventura County Fairgrounds on Sunday, Nov. 1.
The beneficiary of the drive-in? It's Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture.
"Proceeds from the evening will go to SEEAG's mission to educate students and the public about the farm origins of food and agriculture’s contribution to our nutritional wellbeing."
Tickets? You can find them here, and they run from $35-$75.
John Chester will be there to Q&A, too, adding that special meet-the-farmer moment to the night, even if the farmer is socially distanced and in front of the gathered cars.
We know: You can't wait to pet a goat again. We get it. Same. So much same.
And while we look forward to again visiting the farms of Ventura County down the road, we can pet goats in our minds and hearts by helping out agricultural students, watching a drive-in doc about a fab farm, and jumping into a host of virtual to-dos from home.
