Los Angeles is chock-full of farmers markets, with some being known to just about every local – hey, Santa Monica residents, we’re talking to you – and others being dubbed “hidden gems.” The best time of the year is here, pandemic be damned, and this means it’s prime season for these types of markets, so we’ve gathered up six of our favorite spots around the Woodland Hills area guaranteed to bring out your inner farmer.

Calabasas Farmers Market, located at 23504 Calabasas Road in Calabasas, is open Saturdays from 8 am to 1 pm and will meet all your expectations for what a farmers market should be. From the plethora of fresh fruits, vegetables, and vegan foods to the fresh-pressed olive oils and aged balsamic vinegars, flowers, skincare products, and more, this weekly experience has been coveted by Woodland Hills locals since its inception. During these COVID times, the market takes safety very seriously, offering a one-way-in-and-out setup while enforcing social distancing.

Woodland Hills Market, located at 19964 Ventura Boulevard, makes freshness its highest priority, boasting a fresh produce market, bakery, and small restaurant and offering a variety of produce, meat, poultry, fresh-baked bread, and pastries like you’ve never seen before. The owners of this Woodland Hills staple pride themselves on offering only the freshest products to their customers while presenting delicious meals at the much-ballyhooed restaurant; the dining establishment is open seven days a week from 10 am to 8 pm.

Encino Farmers Market, located at 17400 Victory Boulevard between Balboa and White Oak in Van Nuys, was founded in 1994 as an excellent way for everyone in the family to spend time together for shopping, food, and fun. Open year-round on Sundays from 8 am to 1 pm, rain or shine, the market offers plenty of convenient parking, products from certified organic farmers, a variety of California-grown fruits and vegetables, fresh flowers/eggs/chicken and grass-fed beef, honey, plants and much more. Prepared foods such as crepes, gourmet tamales, vegan products, coffee, tea, smoothies, baked goods, and fish are also available, with a plethora of vendors selling beautiful items like handmade soaps, candles, hats, clothing, jewelry, and baby gifts.

Northridge Farmers Market, located at 9301 Tampa Avenue in Northridge, is open every Wednesday at the Northridge Fashion Center in front of Macy’s, with a smattering of premium vendors selling everything from bread, croissants, rolls, and bakery goods to organic products, mushrooms/sprouts, dried nuts and fruits, meat and fish and all things vegan. Select vendors are available for kid’s crafts and face painting, while still others offer additional one-of-a-kind handmade items. Shop for produce while listening to live music, experience all the great food stands, and revel in the whole family atmosphere at Northridge Farmers Market.

Westlake Village Farmers Market, located at 2797 Agoura Road in Westlake Village, is open rain or shine all year on Sundays from 10 am to 2 pm, offering a great selection of just about everything you can imagine. During this pandemic, the vendors have creatively and safely come together to craft a wonderful way to keep people distance-friendly and happy, and it’s here you’ll find delicious heirloom tomatoes, authentic Italian products such as gluten-free pasta and sauces, packaged olives, fresh salmon/tuna/scallops and other types of fish, produce and much more. There’s also plenty of parking and a myriad of other amazing items.

Pacific Palisades Farmers Market, located at 15777 Bowdoin Street in Los Angeles, brings farm-fresh produce straight to consumers, ensuring this is a spot where you’ll always find the best in-season goods, great gourmet food vendors selling everything from craft salt to hummus in a million varieties…and more. A pet rescue area complements a citrus-tasting stand where you can sample 12 different varieties of juice – and that’s just the beginning of the exciting experience at Pacific Palisades Farmers Market. The venue is open on Sundays from 8 am to 1 pm.

Farmers markets are an essential part of our local economy and a tremendous way to support local artisans, farmers, butchers, cheesemongers, and food vendors. We hope this roundup proved to be a guide to farmers markets across Woodland Hills, where you can pick up locally-produced goods, put your money back into the neighborhood in which you live, and, yes, maybe even run into Zooey Deschanel filming her latest project.