The Ballan Community Garden

In recent years there’s been a massive increase in interest in community gardens throughout Victoria and across other areas of Australia. There maybe one near you!

A community garden is a single piece of land gardened collectively by a group of people.

Community gardens provide fresh produce and plants as well as satisfying labor, neighborhood improvement, sense of community and connection to the environment..

The small rural town of Ballan also has a Community Garden, it is for the benefit of all residents in and around the township of Ballan. All that is required is a willingness to help once  a month for a couple of hours.  Be it some weeding, planting, raking, cleaning the pathways ... just a couple of hours a month is not much to ask. 

The benefits far outweigh the 'work' that is asked of you!

There is a constant source of fresh produce to start with .... not to mention the friendliness of the volunteers on the third Saturday of each month when the working bee is held.

If you can't make it on that working bee day, you can always spend a couple of hours at another time that suits.

There are plenty of garden beds if you wish to plant any extra vegetables of your choice too.

Why not come along and check it out for yourself?

everyone is welcome and everyone has a great time.

The following URL's may be of interest too:

Ballarat Community Garden


Cultivating Community


The Australian City Farms and Community Gardens Network 


Melbourne Community Gardens


Community Gardens - Yarra Ranges

did you forget what today was?

Second Saturday of the Month

Today is the second Saturday of the month and if you missed today's Ballan Farmers Market you are now going to have to wait till next month!

The Ballan Farmers' market commenced in November 2011 in its unique location at Mill Cottage, 96 Inglis Street Ballan.

The first market had 1,000 visitors and subsequent markets are held on the second Saturday of the month from 9am to 2pm. 

Maybe put these dates in your diary now:

• September 8
• October 13
• November 10
• December 8

We were a little late arriving at the market today as we had stayed overnight in Melbourne. But still managed to buy the fresh produce that we needed.

Today we spent some time looking at the plants available as we are now starting to think about the garden and what plants we may need once spring arrives!  This particular stall at the market has plenty of fresh vegetables,  plants and seedlings as well as a good display of cactus as seen in the images below:

so next time you are at the Ballan Farmers Market, do check out this stall. It is located (usually!) way at the back, you cannot miss it:

don't forget, the next market is:

our previous blog posts on the Ballan Farmers Market are here:
1. APRIL

2. APRIL

3. MAY

4. JUNE

5. JULY

.

Hear Ye! Hear Ye!

If you live anywhere along the Western Freeway, Victorian  Central Highlands or near Bacchus Marsh, Greendale, Ballarat, Daylesford or Ballan, this is a friendly reminder that the BALLAN FARMERS MARKET is on again this coming Saturday.

A couple of months ago I did a blog post on our first visit to this friendly little market in the town of Ballan and we thoroughly enjoyed it. 

If you would like to read about our visit, click HERE.
The Ballan Farmers Market website is HERE, which will give you any updates and how to contact them too.

... and of course there is always Facebook!

So don't forget the market is on this coming Saturday rain, hail or shine ... its still worth visiting for the fresh produce and a warming cup of hot chocolate maybe.

can't miss it, follow the traffic and the crowds along Inglis St.

a visit to the Ballan Farmers Market!

 

Ballan & District Farmers' Market is full of community spirit. With more than 30 stallholders placed throughout the beautiful surrounds of Mill Cottage it attracts hundreds of people each month. The market is usually held on the second Saturday of the Month.

We had the opportunity to attend the market with friends this past weekend and it truly was delightful. The weather was perfect, there were people were wandering around just enjoying the atmosphere and the stall holders were there with their fresh produce ... it was a great day for everyone.

We took Oscar with us and decided to get there early, well before the expected crowds, we parked in the main street and I think we were lucky to find parking so close by looking at all the vehicles already there!

as we approached Mill Cottage we saw that there were stall holders already set up on the street itself selling plants, herbs, honey and other fresh produce.

and once inside we saw that there were many stall holders selling everything from fresh vegetables to wine, from fresh bread to home made cookies and others cooking foods while you wait .....

the gardens of Mill Cottage are a delight to see as well ...

Ballan Farmers Market is worth visiting if you live close by in Regional Victoria and even if you live in the city of Melbourne and looking for a pleasant drive "out in the countryside", than plan ahead and make the effort to visit this delightful rural village with it's Farmers Market on the second Saturday of the month!

Ballan & District Farmers' Market 
 

Where:

92 Inglis Street , Ballan, Victoria, Australia

Phone:

0408218954

Email

 

the dates for the rest of 2012 are as follows:
May 12
June 9
July 14
August 11
September 8
October 13
November 10
December 8

 

 

 next blog post will be about the "Biscuiteer Extraordinaire"

John and Leone Fabre