Easy Pickings : Region’s farmers’ markets always have something coming into fruition.

There are two types of people in this world: Those who don’t mind if a tomato tastes like a packet of corn plasters, and those who do.

The first type thinks tomatoes come shrink-wrapped in little trays of four and are good both to eat and play croquet with.

The second type feels each other’s pain and talks about the good old days, back when a tomato tasted like a tomato.

This second type is the Market Lady’s target audience--you know who you are out there--the ones who can get emotional over a nice firm eggplant or a bin of crunchy just-picked local gala apples. You want to know about the freshest, most interesting foodstuffs at their peak season.

And of course, you’re the ones who browse at Ventura County’s eight certified farmers’ markets, where, in fact, a tomato still tastes like a tomato. To qualify for a selling permit at the markets, certified farmers must be genuine California farmers selling their crops directly to the public, says a spokesman at the Ventura County agricultural commissioner’s office.

At the market you will find, depending on the season and availability, a wide range of produce as well as other items. “Our markets have things you can taste, smell or plant,” said Camarillo’s market manager, Bob Trainer--everything, it seems, from soup to nuts (as well as the centerpiece).

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Now, market connoisseurs know that each market also tends to reflect the ambience of its community, or in Ojai’s case, aura. For instance, at the Ojai market, one can buy Celtic sea salt.

“You can eat it or bathe in it,” said Ojai manager Cynthia Korman. (The Market Lady is not making this up.)

Those who like music with their fruits and veggies might consider heading to Ventura’s Saturday morning market, known for the Old Country Trio Plus One. It is called the “nearly live” band by Truman, the banjo player, to describe how he sounds during the first 30 minutes, when his fingers are still in the grip of early morning arthritis. The trio’s musical repertoire includes many popular vegetable tunes, such as “Boil Them Cabbage Down.”

Anyone who prefers classical music and blues might consider a jaunt to the Channel Islands farmers’ market Sunday to enjoy local pianists and peruse the parsnips at the same time.

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So what is available now?

Ojai pecans and walnuts are just coming into peak season at the Channel Islands and Ojai farmers’ markets. And our undercover Upper Ojai kiwi grower informs us that those furry fruits are in peak season throughout November and December and are for the taking at the Ventura and Ojai markets.

Persimmons, along with apples, have just come in and are in all the farmers’ markets. The local celery is good right now, too. And there are also plenty of pomegranates to be found at the Channel Islands, Ojai and Ventura markets. But more on them later.

While some things are just coming into fruition, there are others at the tail end of their productivity, such as strawberries. “We still have late season strawberries at the Simi Valley market right now, but you’d better get them before the rains do,” advises Simi Valley’s manager, Mark Rochin.

And next week is the last, or nearly last, call on local strawberry guavas, lemon guavas and pineapple guavas, says the guava guru of Saticoy, the owner of Vanoni Farms, who peddles her produce at the Ventura market.

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If you do manage to score some of these runty little fruits, which are no bigger than a puka shell but taste great, why not add a little zip to this season’s homemade cranberry sauce by adding a smidgen of fresh lemon guava juice?

Which brings us right back to those tasty, but messy, pomegranates. Instead of standing over the sink with pomegranate juice dripping down your chin and embarrassing everyone, why not drip some into that bubbling pot of cranberries on the upcoming T-Day?

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Now, while the Market Lady hates to lecture readers so soon, it is for your own good (and hers): Plan ahead this year so that the persimmons you buy will be perfectly ripe on the day you make that scrumptious holiday persimmon pudding. Local ones are in season now at all the markets. Growers will even sell you persimmon tree limbs with the persimmons still attached for an autumn bouquet.

Don’t forget to send along a nice, big helping of persimmon pudding, with sauce, to the Market Lady.

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Tip of the Week, from market manager Bob Trainer: “The Camarillo market has the finest tomatoes in the world right now, grown hydroponically by John Holland. Just follow the line to his booth on Saturday morning.” (Holland also sells his ‘maters at the Channel Islands market.)

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FYI:

Ventura County Certified Farmers’ Markets

Wednesdays: Midtown Ventura, Main Street and Mills Road, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Thursdays: Oxnard, 5th and B streets, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Thousand Oaks, The Oaks mall, 3 to 6:30 p.m.

Saturdays: Simi Valley, 2273 Tapo St., 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; Camarillo, 2220 Ventura Blvd., 7 a.m. to noon; downtown Ventura, Santa Clara and Palm streets, 8:30 a.m. to noon.

Sundays: Channel Islands Harbor, 2810 S. Harbor Blvd., 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Ojai, 300 E. Matilija St., 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.