The Downtown Ventura Farmers Market is a Saturday classic for residents of Ventura County. Waves of people move down Main Street, tote bags over their shoulders and coffee in hand, weaving through conversations or overhearing the steady sound of waves crashing on the nearby shoreline of Surfers Point beach.
Beneath the canvas canopies lining the street, shoppers and vendors converse about ingredients, techniques and the stories behind each product. From sausage recipes brought from Germany to small-batch cider brewed in Ventura and family-farm honey harvested and bottled locally, the goods reflect a level of personality and care not replicable by standardized production in large corporations.
“Authentic, local; it’s not corporate,” Richard, a salesman for the German gourmet sausage company, YouBite, said.
Based in Camarillo, YouBite operates as a small-scale, independent business. Every sausage is produced in-house, from processing the meat to casing it. The owners brought their recipes and techniques from Cologne, Germany, and continue to use their traditions to shape the variety of sausages they make. This includes jalapeño cheese, their special “German lollipop” and classic bratwurst…