Spring's Simple Pleasures: Visiting Tapia Brothers Farm Stand

While we hear so much in the media, online and through our social networking sites about urban farms, community and school gardens, we often don't hear much about "traditional" farms that are still surviving and still offering us a chance to reconnect to the land.

Yesterday, LA Farm Girl ventured out to Encino to visit one such place: Tapia Brothers Farm Stand, at 5251 Hayvenhurst Avenue, in Encino, literally just off the Hayvenhurst exit off the 101 Freeway.

Now, many people know Tapia Brothers as home to TomatoMania, but they are so much more. For LA Farm Girl, it's a place to return to for some memories of when I was a kid and I would go to the stand sometimes to buy strawberries with my Grandpa.

Their farm and stand is one of only two such "mom and pop" farm stands left in the once agriculturally abundant San Fernando Valley. They don't even have a web site so if you want to make sure they are open before going, call the stand at (818) 905-6155.

It is a little early still for their tomatoes, but I bought some and they were already pretty sweet, as were the strawberries. As the weather warms up and summer comes, they will have their sweet corn and peaches and much more.

We need to make sure the Tapia Brothers know how much we appreciate them and how happy we are that this family owned farm is still here, so go and show them some love.