Have been thinking lately about food security nationally, and also about growing more food for ourselves etc. With the current situation I imagine a lot more people will be thinking the same. Mrs Goose would like to offer an outside activity for the community (assuming such things would meet whatever lock down rules that might be imposed). Does anyone have experience of letting small plots for veg growing etc. Council allotments always seem to be totally oversubscribed so I'm wondering if its worth lotting up a corner somewhere. We already have plenty of people coming to the farm (DIY Livery, Caravan Storage, Unit lets etc), I think I could cope with a few more people about. Wouldn't be looking to make it a big thing. Anyone done it? What sort of money would be fair to charge? It would need to be 'alotmore' than a council allotment to make it worth my while.
Allotment diversification?
- Thread starter Gander
- Start date
renewablejohn
Member
- Location
- lancs
Forget it. Have done it with 15 plots and after 6 months they lose interest and then it costs a fortune to reinstate the land back to useful production.
averageguy54
Member
- Location
- New Brunswick, Canada
Might be wise to talk to the council and maybe work with them or through them to build a customer base.
TripleSix
Member
- Location
- Helmsley, North Yorkshire
Allotments in Northallerton have 18 people on their waiting list....
Rowland
Member
- Location
- Northeast England
Local allotment have a waiting list . They pay something like £12 per year
Beames
Member
- Location
- South wales
Two brothers who I rent the farm off do it. All the good lifers turn up rent an allotment spend 3 weeks making raised beds/pathways and putting decking down and fencing bits off. They then realise it’s hard work digging and weeding and watering and takes up to much time so they stop coming. Eventually the plot gets over run with weeds but you can’t just drive in with the tractor to sort it out due to the pallets and decking and other crap they’ve left in there. My advice is don’t do it your making work for your self.
glasshouse
Member
- Location
- lothians
Security is biggest problem
- Location
- Black Isle
I was thinking this too, maybe offer it via school, parents could bring kids out for a time slot to minimise contact. Just leave a bit of field in ridges and let them plant what they want, each family who is interested in taking part can get a share of it when ready. If nothing else they may realise how much hard work growing food is. It would probably be carnage but at least we would be seen to be trying to help the community
beefandsleep
Member
- Location
- Staffordshire
Sell long leases to mitigate the risk of loss of interest?
You could have a clause that allows you to retake possession if the plot becomes overgrown or not tended for a period of time.
A deposit to cover reinstatement costs in the event of abandonment?
I would imagine it’s success depends largely on the wording of the tenancy agreement.
You could have a clause that allows you to retake possession if the plot becomes overgrown or not tended for a period of time.
A deposit to cover reinstatement costs in the event of abandonment?
I would imagine it’s success depends largely on the wording of the tenancy agreement.
Good thinking ,we are in for big changes in the next 12 months whatever guth keeps spouting,all I know when I was keen my little veg plot grew a lot of food and I used to comment at the time that there shouldn't be any hungry people about because of the amount of food that could be grown on a small patch
renewablejohn
Member
- Location
- lancs
You will lose any BPS payment for any land set aside for this purpose.
renewablejohn
Member
- Location
- lancs
Does not work you will lose your land. Thats why Landshare was set up to get around the legal problem but that folded in 2015.
ollie989898
Member
Depends if you are near a population centre and also the kind of people that live there.
Our allotment patch was £20 a year, it was maybe 6 or 7 feet by 10 or 12. There was a nice locked and secure shed on site for tools and it had plenty of parking but security can be an issue (they use lawn mowers to keep the grass under control).
They will want to setup composting areas and a steady supply of muck.
If you are in the right area people will flock to it. Setup a tea stove thingy and you will have folk there all year round. Have members form a committee and let them run it themselves? You just take the cash...
Thanks for all replies.
We are in a village 2 miles from a big town. Could soon put in a bunker for communal composting. Stick a trailer of dung down there for them to help themselves. Thanks for the advice re raised beds etc @Beames, I think I would make clear that wont be allowed.
I had thought people might lose interest, especially if things go back to normal suddenly. To combat that I though it might be a good idea to let the plots from April-March, 6 months payment up front. Good advice from @beefandsleep too, it would definitely need something like that.
I was thinking say 10, 3 x 6m patches (to fit p.harrow). I know council allotments are cheap, this would be a much more private affair and (I think a nicer feel to the place), would it be worth £10-20 per month? I don't think thats a figure people living round here would balk at.
We are in a village 2 miles from a big town. Could soon put in a bunker for communal composting. Stick a trailer of dung down there for them to help themselves. Thanks for the advice re raised beds etc @Beames, I think I would make clear that wont be allowed.
I had thought people might lose interest, especially if things go back to normal suddenly. To combat that I though it might be a good idea to let the plots from April-March, 6 months payment up front. Good advice from @beefandsleep too, it would definitely need something like that.
I was thinking say 10, 3 x 6m patches (to fit p.harrow). I know council allotments are cheap, this would be a much more private affair and (I think a nicer feel to the place), would it be worth £10-20 per month? I don't think thats a figure people living round here would balk at.
ollie989898
Member
I will check with the wife but I am sure our membership was £20 for the year, but the allotment 'club' have been donated the land. You will know your local population better than me to tell if they can stand £10 a month or something, you might be surprised how much activity there is over the winter months because folk still seem to find something to grow. I guess if you are prepared to run a powerharrow over their patch, mow the grass and provide composting and manure etc then your monthly fee will be seen as good value.
Worth a try I guess, won't be that hard to reinstate if you only had a small area devoted to the project.
If you find folk aren't interested much over the winter months, just charge £60 for the 'year' so they don't feel paying the £10 a month so sore over winter?
Might be worth investigating allotments locally and find out if they have a waiting list and what they charge?
Don't allow raised beds or decking or all that bumpf, there is no need, ours was just a grass field with plots cut in it. If you are willing to run a powerharrow over it first thing in the year and negate the hard work for them, folk will come I'm sure.
Bogweevil
Member
I think the trick is to rent the land to an allotment association, not individuals, who will do all the admin. Make sure you sign off the rules - it amazing how clueless the gardening public is. Plots abandoned even for fortnight can lead to weed problems that are slow to go away. It is essential to retain a large deposit to be used to restore abandoned land - enough to cover costs of landscape contractors. Only permit sheds and compost bins in certain designated areas and to certain sizes and designs. Avoid polytunnels. Hosepipes should be metered otherwise stick to dip tanks. Municipal allotments quite cheap - £30-60 for 250sq metres. I would suggest £100 and £250 deposit returnable on completion of tenancy. Good fence advisable and locked entrance - use a padlock that cannot have keys easily copied. Place a high deposit on the keys to deter carelessness - say £25. Don't allow any dumping/burning of any rubbish at all.
Seek advice from Nat Allot Assoc: https://www.nsalg.org.uk/
Seek advice from Nat Allot Assoc: https://www.nsalg.org.uk/
ollie989898
Member
Ah yes I forgot about the need to lock it and also a water supply. Use a combination padlock.
You need to be aware of people bringing garden waste from home and disposing of it on the communal compost heap, although to be fair a load of compost is probably not such an issue for a farm as you can readily handle and spread it.
No fires is an obvious one unless you particularly enjoy holding one now and again.
You need to be aware of people bringing garden waste from home and disposing of it on the communal compost heap, although to be fair a load of compost is probably not such an issue for a farm as you can readily handle and spread it.
No fires is an obvious one unless you particularly enjoy holding one now and again.
renewablejohn
Member
- Location
- lancs
I really think you need to create a plot as you describe and then try and grow a range of crops off it yourself. You will soon find out what your proposing will not work. Cannot see many proper gardeners taking you up on the offer as what your proposing just says to people your clueless at growing veg. What you will get is the clueless gardeners who will throw there seeds in to your nicely prepared seed bed then as soon as the weeds grow will abandon the plot.
Thanks for your views @renewablejohn, can you explain why what I’ve said means it will not work and that I’m clueless at growing veg?
We’ve outgrown our garden veg plot and so I was thinking of making a bigger one on a suitable patch of land I’ve got right next to the yard and car park, it’s got better, sandier soil than I’ve got in the garden too. I was actually going to be aiming at ‘clueless gardeners’ as they are likely the ones who would benefit the most from the education and not have the space to do it themselves.
We’ve outgrown our garden veg plot and so I was thinking of making a bigger one on a suitable patch of land I’ve got right next to the yard and car park, it’s got better, sandier soil than I’ve got in the garden too. I was actually going to be aiming at ‘clueless gardeners’ as they are likely the ones who would benefit the most from the education and not have the space to do it themselves.
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renewablejohn
Member
- Location
- lancs
Sorry if I have offended but you seem to come across as the typical farmer who thinks his 2 inches of soil depth will grow anything whereas if your a market gardener you automatically look at 8 to 12 inches of depth in your deep bed with proper rotation of crops as different ph is critical for different crops. As for a communal compost bin good luck with that one as some will compost diseased plants then the rest refuse to use the compost. We ended up with everyone having there own individual bin.