Val, Ngaire and Frances making everyone feel welcome at the Market.
Story and photos by Lis Bastian
Take a tour of the Gang Gang Farmers Market in Lithgow, meet some stallholders and whet your appetite for their Spring re-opening.
Key Points:
Lithgow’s Gang Gang Farmers Market supports local producers to provide quality fresh food direct to the community.
The Markets are plastic-free thanks to the support of Lithgow Boomerang Bags
The Markets will be closed over winter and will re-open in Spring
I could have kicked myself for arriving late on my first visit to the Gang Gang Farmers Market in Lithgow. Over winter, the Market had been starting earlier, but I underestimated how popular it was and how locals came every week to stock up on the incredible variety of quality locally grown and produced food: mushrooms, sourdough, eggs, meats, cheeses, chutneys and relishes, fresh seasonal fruit and veg, olive oils, honey, warm soups and chai, cakes, alcohol, and lots more.
Nestled in to the side of Lithgow’s Gang Gang Gallery in James St, the Market squeezes a lot into a small space, and felt much bigger than it actually is. As well as the 17 stalls, there was a buzz in the air: a combination of the live music, laughter and many friendly conversations.
I’ve now missed my chance to visit again this winter, because they’ve closed over the bleak months, but they’ll re-open in Spring and I’ve already marked the date in my diary! You can keep track of opening times via the Gang Gang Farmers Market Facebook page.
Sharon Howard (Gang Gang Gallery) and Steve McCulloch (Lithgow Valley Mushrooms)
Sharon Howard, from Gang Gang Gallery, started the Market nearly 8 months ago:
“There’s a large group of Lithgow people that have wanted to have their own Farmers Market for some time,” she told me. With her daughter Ngaire’s help, she began asking around and was surprised at the positive reception from everyone. “The stallholders themselves are really embracing the market. Everyone’s really happy with it.”
The first people she asked to participate were Steve McCulloch and his wife from Lithgow Valley Mushrooms. They are now stalwarts of the market, with Steve making warm soup for visitors over the cooler months.
Lithgow Valley Mushrooms
By the time I arrived at the Market, all the fresh mushrooms had been sold but you could still buy mushroom growing kits and powders.
Locally grown chokoes, potatoes and kohlrabi.
Ngaire Howard says the Market is the highlight of her week: “Every place should have a Farmers’ Market because it’s so good for the community on so many levels.”
She’s particularly proud that they’re a plastic-free market, with carry bags provided by Boomerang Bags. She encourages people to join the members of Boomerang Bags, who meet and sew reusable shopping bags on Fridays from 10.30am to 2.30pm at LINC (Lithgow Information & Neighbourhood Centre).
Karen Purser, from the Lithgow Transformation Hub, tells me she comes to the Market every week: “I love that it’s a great community social space and I like buying direct from the producers.”
Karen Purser from the Lithgow Transformation Hub does her shopping every week at the Market.
Aaron from Harvest Farms at the end of the day.
Aaron from Harvest Farms sees a real demand in Lithgow for organic local produce because there aren’t many other options available. He chats to avid local gardeners who are keen to get advice on growing veg and, he says, “There are a lot of good cooks here! I buy from everyone here too. It’s part of growing a local circular economy instead of just giving money to large shopping chains.”
The Market supports local producers and is held on a Thursday to allow for the stallholders to do markets further afield on the weekend.
Elderflower Mist from Widdenbrook Farm
Darren Baguley from Widdenbrook Farm on Nullo Mountain, Lithgow talked about how he and his wife started Elderflower Mist, which they’re now selling across Australia:
You can sample a wide range of other artisanal produce:
Wilson Family Olive Oil
Rusty Gate Honey
Maria from South Bowenfels specialises in delicious Greek sweets
Take a tip from me. If you want some of the delicious locally baked Greek sweets created by Maria from Delixious Bites get to the market early!
And here’s just a sample of some of the other great stalls:
I’m looking forward to the Market being on again in September.
Take Action:
Visit the Gang Gang Farmers Markets in Spring.
Take your own bags and consider joining Boomerang Bags Lithgow to reduce textile waste.
This story has been produced as part of a Bioregional Collaboration for Planetary Health and is supported by the Disaster Risk Reduction Fund (DRRF). The DRRF is jointly funded by the Australian and New South Wales governments.
Our Planetary Health Bushcare Group had a ball today at the annual Bushcare Picnic and we were thrilled that our youngest member, Arthur van der Meer, was presented with the Junior Bushcare Award. Our inspiring Bushcare Officer Karen Hising, also leads the Narrowneck Bushcare Group which was recognised for 5 years of service to the Bushcare Program. We`re looking forward to our next Bushcare afternoon on Saturday 6 September from 1.30-4.3pm. All welcome.
You can now read the latest Planetary Health newsletter here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/41u8ftQ
Lots of great stories, events and videos! You can subscribe via the Planetary Health website (link in profile): https://www.bluemountainsplanetaryhealth.com.au/
This year, the Australian Bushfire Building and Asbestos & Hazardous Materials Management conferences are joining forces with the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Initiative for Full Cycle 2025, to increase collaboration across sectors, from design to disposal. This vital conference and community expo will explore approaches to reducing risks in a changing climate: from multi-hazards like fire, flood, heatwave and extreme humidity, to hazardous materials like mould, microplastics, PFAS, asbestos and engineered stone. Registration will be live in the coming weeks. In the meantime, visit the Full Cycle 2025 website for more information and to sign up to the mailing list (link in profile) https://www.fullcycleconference.com.au/
Yesterday the community gathered to celebrate Sister Jacinta Shailer`s 98th Birthday! Earlier this year at the Planetary Health Centre she urged us all to join a revolution centred in the transformative power of love, by joining heroic communities that foster compassion, justice, care of the needy, creative imagining, ways of life-giving thinking, ways of contemplating the wonders of our world in the small and the large, the weird and the wonderful. Watch an excerpt of her speech here or read our full story published earlier this year in Katoomba Area Local News (link in profile): https://www.katoombalocalnews.com/create-heroic-communities/
Council is calling on the community to contribute to the development of a Community Climate Risk Assessment and Adaptation Plan (CCRAA). There will be a Community Climate Risk and Adaptation Workshop on Saturday 30 August, from 10am to 1pm at Springwood Sports Club, followed by lunch.
You can also contribute by completing the online survey before 29 August.
Your knowledge and experience are critical in helping identify local risks, priorities and practical solutions. Many in our community are already taking action, and these stories, along with diverse perspectives, will help shape a more resilient future for the Blue Mountains.
We encourage you to attend and share the event with your networks to help ensure every voice is heard.
Places are limited for the workshop, so register early here (link in profile): https://climateriskworkshop.eventbrite.com.au Complete the survey here (link in profile): https://yoursay.bmcc.nsw.gov.au/community-climate-risk-and-adaptation-plan-community-survey
The development of this plan is being funded by the NSW Government’s Western Sydney Infrastructure Grant Program.
This video captures the most moving speech at the Peace Symposium: that by journalist and teacher Harumi Hayakawa, who described the true horror and tragedy of nuclear weapons. She went on to describe how, after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the people of both cities dedicated themselves to peace building from the grassroots. Small yet courageous actions by these individuals have reached and changed countless lives in the world. After her presentation, Harumi taught families at the Community Peace Picnic how to fold paper cranes.
At the Peace Symposium, Rotarian Jennifer Scott AM outlined how Rotarians around the world are taking action for peace: from providing mental health first aid in our local community to working for social and environmental justice on a global scale. You can watch an excerpt from her presentation in this video.
In his opening speech for the Peace Symposium Dharug man Chris Tobin shared a Dreamtime story about the Waratah, which emerged from a bloody conflict as a symbol of reconciliation.
@mark_greenhill_oam, Mayor of the City of Blue Mountains, welcomed participants to the Forum: Ban the Bomb, Sign the Treaty at the Blue Mountains Peace Symposium. As a signatory of Mayors for Peace he spoke of the urgency to act to prevent nuclear war and to end the genocide in Gaza.
The Peace Symposium was organised to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima.
You can watch our full playlist of videos for Making Peace on our YouTube channel (link in profile): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kODwpPinQx4&list=PLBu_QF9Pp5hPoaLWW0ZLHhwS6hPd-x-Rl
View Ecopella`s rousing anthem `You`re Needed Now!` They performed it at the Blue Mountains Peace Symposium on the eve of the March for Humanity and the 80th anniversary of the bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Contact them if you`re interested in joining the choir which has branches around Eastern NSW.
If you`d like to hear the other presentations at the Symposium visit the Planetary Health YouTube channel (link in profile)
Renowned Permaculture teacher and Katoomba resident Rowe Morrow has been a Quaker for 40 years. She spoke at the Blue Mountains Peace Symposium about the extraordinary work Quakers have done, and are doing, for Peace, and the strategies they`ve developed: from working to abolish slavery, to being instrumental in starting Oxfam and Amnesty International, to training communities in non-violent communication and conflict resolution, conscientious objection, direct action, divestment strategies and more. You can listen to her discuss these in her presentation here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kODwpPinQx4&t=5s
Lis Bastian is the Senior Lead for Blue Mountains City Council’s Planetary Health Initiative. She is the editor of the Local News Platforms and has been a writer, editor, news presenter and teacher/lecturer covering both cultural and environmental issues for over 30 years. She has been pioneering Solutions/Constructive Journalism in Australia since 2012.
The story of Lithgow Environment Group is a saga spanning nearly two decades of their heroic struggle against fire, local habitat destruction, weak government legislation and in particular, irresponsible mining practices.
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