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Source: Daily News, Los AngelesSept.迷你倉最平 29--Underwood Family Farms launched its 16th annual Fall Harvest Festival on Saturday, taking over acres of usually working farm land with horse rides, pig races, a corn maze and pumpkin patches.For 2-year-old Liberty, the idea of being up close and personal with the horses pulling the covered wagon ride was almost overwhelming.The little girl giggled and jumped in her seat as the 20-minute farm tour began."She loves the horses, she loves the cows," said Kim Berry, who brought Liberty from Thousand Oaks to the festival. "I have to do something so she doesn't sit in front of a TV and this is great. There's so much for her to do."The festival runs each year from late September through the Halloween weekend, and draws in thousands of visitors each weekend, according to Suzannah Underwood, whose family owns the farm and runs the event."We're a small farm, so we can't compete with the larger businesses. This allows us to use the farm at a time when there wouldn't usually be a lot planted. Plus, we love doing it. It's like throwing a party every year for 100,000 people," she said, smiling.The festival is open every day from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and each weekend has its own theme. Next Saturday and Sunday the farm will hose folk artists and musicians for a series of shows. Antique tractors will be on display Oct. 12 and 13, and stunt ropers and a flea circus will highlight Wild West Weekend on Oct. 19 and 20.For the opening weekend, the farm is hosting the Ventura County Fire and Sheriff's departments, with a portion of the gate proceeds going toward the organizations' favorite charities.Hundreds of children roamed the festival grounds, and many were able to climb inside fire trucks and Sheriff's patrol c儲存rs, playing with the sirens and horns and learning about the equipment."We love being out here and the kids just love it," said Capt. Dave Kenney. "The Underwoods have been really supportive of us and this is the fourth year we've been out here."Kenney and five other members of the Sheriff's Department run an ultra-marathon each year to raise money for 11 charities including Children's Hospital Los Angeles and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The group will receive a donation from the proceeds of the weekend.Underwood Farms has two farm stands, one in Moorpark and one in Somis, and uses the farm where the harvest festival takes place as a pick-you-own fruit and vegetable facility for visitors much of the year.Even that is a relatively new part of the family's farming business.Craig Underwood, Suzannah's father, said that inviting people out to choose their own fruits and vegetables was a way to get people involved in the food they eat, and make the farm a bit of a destination. As a fourth-generation farmer, he said he's seen changes in how farms like his have to operate.As he drove the horse-drawn covered wagon little Liberty was so excited about writing, he talked about the changes to the farming business and what the festival adds to the company as well as the visitors it attracts each year."When I was studying and learning how to farm, I never pictured we'd be doing this," he said. "But I can see why people like it out here. The open space, the way we do things. It makes them and their kids invested in their food."For more details on the festival, visit .underwoodfamilyfarms.com.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 the Daily News (Los Angeles) Visit the Daily News (Los Angeles) at .dailynews.com Distributed by MCT Information Servicesmini storage