St. Rose of Lima, a Catholic school for first through eighthgrade students, hosts a farmers' market every Saturday morning from 8 a.m. to noon in the school parking lot.

The Rev. Joe Shea, who's been at the Simi Valley school since July, came up with the idea for the market, according to principal Katherine Barrantes.

"We're very excited about it," she said. "The response has been very steady."

Proceeds from the market at 1325 Royal Ave., which opened on March 6, will help the school improve its technology and build a science lab, Barrantes said.

Every Saturday 15 to 20 vendors come to the market and offer fresh produce, tamales, eggs, nuts, kettle corn, flowers, jewelry, children's toys and other items.

The school has been selling Jelly Belly candy at its booth.

"This is a good way to help people save money with lowerpriced produce and make it convenient for them," Barrantes said. "We hope it gets bigger. We're looking forward to it growing. But this is for the entire Simi Valley community, not just for our own parish."

—Eliav Appelbaum