Paths, plots and produce

Produce fanciers can indulge the pleasure at the weekly produce markets in Camden and talk to local growers. While you are there you can wander next door and view the volunteer’s garden plots at the community garden.

Both the produce market and community garden are part of the larger town farm complex.  The town farm was gifted to Camden Council by Miss Llewella Davies in 1999 on her death at 98 years of age.

 

The town farm was formerly a dairy farm and has an extensive frontage to the Nepean River. The area is part of the Nepean River floodplain and has rich fertile soils. From time to time the river shows its anger and the whole are is subject to flooding.

A masterplan was developed Camden Council for the town farm in 2007 outlining future directions for the farm.

Camden Produce Market

 

The Camden produce markets are held every Saturday morning.

 

The stall holders are producers from within the Sydney Basin growing or producing their own products for sale.

 

The markets are managed by Macarthur Growers Pty Ltd and operate from 7.00am to 12 noon.

 

The markets have been operating for a number of years. The produce market website states:

Camden Fresh Produce Market evolved from a MACROC (Macarthur Region of Councils) initiative called “Macarthur Agri Tourism Project” which was funded by GROW a NSW government initiative to promote sustainable agriculture in the Macarthur Region. The first market was held in Lower John Street on 3rd of November 2001.

 

Next door is the Camden Community Garden.

Camden Community Garden

The Camden Community Garden is set on the idyllic Nepean River floodplain within the Camden Town Farm, formerly a dairy farm of the Davies family.

 

The Camden Council website states about the garden:

Camden Community Garden is a place for gardeners to meet and exchange ideas, bringing together gardeners across a range of ages, abilities and a diverse cultural background.  

 

The community garden group was incorporated in 2009  and plots were taken up by volunteer gardeners in 2010.

 

Volunteers lease plots and grow their own produce for personal consumption.

 

Each volunteer tends their own plot and is responsible for it. There are around 50 active gardeners.

 

The community garden is managed by a voluntary committee of members who meet monthly.

 

There are regular working bees for general maintenance on the 3rd Sunday of each month.

 

Visitors are welcome to attend  if they would like to find out more information.

 

Yellow gold flows from Flow Beehive for the first time

Yellow golden honey from the Camden Community Garden flows for the first time at the garden when Steve and Justin crack open the Flow Beehive. The bees took 3 years to adopt their new home and 3 months to fill it with honey. Cracking one row yielded over 3 kgs of genuine Camden yellow gold.

Cover photograph: Stall produce at the Camden Produce Market (I Willis, 2018)