Alison Willot helps son Jacob and daughter Abby hunt for green beans at Underwood Family Farms in Moorpark. The working farm has 160 acres and features U-pick fields of fruits and vegetables, a large produce stand and a petting zoo for kids. (Lawrence K. Ho/Los Angeles Times)
The Orr kids make a day of picking bell peppers at Underwood Family Farms. From left: Brenna, 11, Kylie, 13, and Cadin, 9. (Lawrence K. Ho/Los Angeles Times)
The Rivas family filled a cart full of green beans at Underwood Family Farms. (Lawrence K. Ho/Los Angeles Times)
Families get a tour of the fields at Underwood via cow-shaped carts pulled by a tractor. (Lawrence K. Ho/Los Angeles Times)
Allison Pickard, 6, enjoys a wagon ride past the fields where families scope out the produce. (Lawrence K. Ho/Los Angeles Times)
Emeley Merino looks through the bell peppers at Underwood. (Lawrence K. Ho/Los Angeles Times)
A family passes under a green bean-layered arch at Underwood. (Lawrence K. Ho/Los Angeles Times)
It’s tomatoes all week long for the person who picked this wagon-load of produce at Underwood. (Lawrence K. Ho/Los Angeles Times)
A family watches goats traverse an overhead crossing at Underwood, a fully operating farm. (Lawrence K. Ho/Los Angeles Times)
Sandra Merino, 6, picked a ripe pepper. (Lawrence K. Ho/Los Angeles Times)
Apples and pears are some of the produce to be found at pick-your-own farms in Southern California. Pears are in their last burst of ripeness while the season’s first fragrant apples have just begun to pop up. (Ricardo DeAratanha/Los Angeles Times)
Make an apple galette from the fruit picked with your own hands. (Ricardo DeAratanha/Los Angeles Times)
Sweet, firm apples such as Galas and Braeburns are the best for this recipe and pears, peaches or a combination of fruit can also be used. (Ricardo DeAratanha/Los Angeles Times)
