Local Organic Food in Cambridge
 | Growing your Own |
| Allotments |
| Commercial Suppliers |
| Farmers' Market |
| Box Schemes |
| CamLETS |
Growing your own fruit & veg. is by far the most satisfying and nourishing way of providing yourself with a year-round supply of quality organic food. This is the way to get really fresh produce that no shop can match. And if you have the time and a garden, many peaceful contented hours can be enjoyed in Nature's tranquility.
The Henry Doubleday Research Association run a Grow Your Own Fruit & Vegetables Campaign - why not pick up a leaflet and join in? You can grow some of your own food with a very small amount of space - a window box or a grow-bag on the patio is enough for some salad crops, for instance. Visit www.hdra.org.uk/gyo.htm or write to GYO Campaign, HDRA, Ryton Organic Gardens, Coventry CV8 3LG for a free campaign information pack.
If you do not have your own garden, consider taking on an allotment. You can take a full size plot, or smaller, depending on your time constraints and energy. If you are interested in doing an allotment then find your nearest site via Cambridge Allotments Network. See their leaflet, visit www.allotments.net or contact 01223 501581 info@allotments.net.
Of course, not all of us have the time or energy to grow our own, so we have to find our organic fruit & veg. from other sources. For many people the only option of buying organic food is from the supermarkets, where it is over-priced, over-packaged, of limited availability and usually imported.
Currently, over 70% of organic produce available in the UK is imported. Reducing 'food miles' is a key issue for anyone who is conscious of the damage done to the environment caused by unnecessary transportation. By buying locally grown organic produce from individual suppliers, you can reduce the transportation and handling of fresh produce that you consume. It will have been harvested to order only a couple of days prior to delivery/sale, it will have been handled and transported less, as there is no wholesaler involved, and it will be cheaper. People living in Cambridge are lucky to have a number of sources of locally grown organic produce…
Arjuna Wholefoods, 12 Mill Rd, Cambridge 01223 363845(shop)/01223 313861(warehouse) Established in 1970, this workers' co-operative carries a wide range of organic fruit and vegetables - both seasonal and out of season. There is a wide range of other organic products on the shelves.
You can also catch Mr Baker, a Soil Association certified organic grower from Harston near Cambridge with his stall outside Arjuna on a Saturday morning, with a seasonal selection of produce for sale.
Daily Bread, 3 Kilmaine Close, Cambridge. 01223 423177. A Christian workers' co-operative who carry a wide range of organic vegetables and other pre-packaged products.
Eight Hills Organic D J Birt, 1 Wood Farm Cottages, London Road, Chatteris, Cambs PE16 6SQ Tel: 01354 694391. Soil Association certified organic veg., also organic chicken & duck eggs, free range eggs from goose & guinea fowl.
Every Sunday in Cambridge Market Square. 10.30-4.30. Local growers, bakers, meat producers and much more. Come along and meet some of the producers listed here!
Meadowbrook Farm, Charlie Baker,Cambridge Rd, Gt Abington, Cambridge Tel 01223 894349. Supplier of home-grown, seasonal organic vegetables. Pick your own veg and strawberries
Snakehall Farm, on the road between Swaffham Prior and Reach. Snakehall Farm has a small shop, which sells great organic veg. in season. These are grown by a terrific group of people with learning difficulties at the farm itself.
Mayfield Organics, Whitehall Farm, Lynn Road, Littleport, Cambs. 01353 862251/07747 697645. Produce grown to Soil Association standards. Planning to convert more land to organic production over the next few years.
Box schemes deliver you a box of locally grown organic veggies and fruit in season - usually on weekly basis. In the Cambridge area there are a number of such schemes:
Cambridge Organic Food Company (formerly Farmer Giles) - produce a range of individually hand-packed boxes, from £8-£15. Fresh produce sourced wherever possible from local growers via East Anglia Food Links. Contact Duncan on 01223 882755
Waterland Organics - deliver boxes of fresh organic veg. in the Cambridge area. Produce grown on an organic farm at Lode near Cambridge. £6/box. Paul Robinson, Reach 01638 742178
Derek Mason 01638 552709 – Supplier of a range of organic produce, both local and from farther afield. Has a range of set boxes of fruit and/or veg, prices £7-15. Also sells a range of other organic produce, tinned, dried and dairy
The Local Exchange &Trading System in Cambridge is called CamLETS - Members trade their goods and services in a local 'currency' called CAMS - there is no coinage, just CamLETS cheques. Trading statements are issued every couple of months to show your balance. There is no interest on debit or credit balances either - the emphasis being on trading and getting things done that need doing - The original goal of money!
There are many organic growers on CamLETS - not certified organic but fruit & veg. grown free of chemicals - usually the surplus of gardens and allotments. If you are interested in finding out more about CamLETS, please send a SSAE to 3 Fen Rd, Cambridge, CB4 1BF, or call Ros Nightingale, tel 01223 574033
If you know of more organic suppliers in or near Cambridge, do let us know!
Disclaimer: the information on this page is supplied in good faith and is correct to the best of our knowledge at 24/5/00. However, no responsibility will be accepted for the consequences of any errors or inaccuracies.
Back to Cambridge Organic Gardeners Latest update 20/07/01