Yields and Numbers of Plots

[rightee]

Hi all,

First post here.

I was wondering if anyone might be able to help me out. I'm writing my thesis about local food production and am trying to get an idea of the yields people get from their allotment. How much food can one standard sized allotment produce in terms of proportions of food needed to keep someone alive for a year?

I'm also interested in looking at this in terms of people's front and back gardens. Does anyone know of any academic papers or books on the subject?

I've found a 1950's book called "The Garden Controversy" which has some yields for WWII but this is using fertilizers and I'm trying to find data for organic really.

Finally are there any internet resources to find out the number of allotment plots that used to exist in a specific place (I'm trying to find out the numbers for the Wirral?)

Thanks,
Andy

[Trevor_D]

Hello and welcome!

The standard-sized allotment (ie. 30 feet by 90 feet) was supposed to be able to keep a family of four in vegetables for at least three-quarters of the year. During World War II the Ministry of Food published detailed planting & cropping plans, including how much seed, how many rows and the expected yields.

You could probably find this sort of information on the net. If not, trawl round second-hand bookshops. One of my older gardening books includes a chapter on "How to adapt your garden to food production in the present emergency" (including useful advice on where to site the Anderson shelter and what go grow up it!).

Can't help you with the Wirral bit. Sounds like the local library or local history society.

Do keep us in touch with your researches - sounds fun!

[ktlawson]

The standard-sized allotment (ie. 30 feet by 90 feet) was supposed to be able to keep a family of four in vegetables for at least three-quarters of the year.

My plot is that size and I have a family of 4.  That fact was correct at the time.  But I do not manage to grow enough to feed us for 3/4 of the year though this is improving.  It's partially down to 2 things.  First one being that I have hens.  So the cree and their run take some of the growing space.  However,  I have not bought any eggs for the past 3 years. 

My plot yields have increased year on year over the past 4 years.  I put this down to gaining more experience on what grows and what does not grow in my area.  My knowledge has also increased on different varieties of crops.  So now I am able to sow different varieties in succession to be able to harvest over a longer period.  This is also my first winter when I have sown over wintering crops such as lettuce and spring onions for example.  Next year being my 5th year, I hope to of just about cracked it by having a plot full of different growing veg for the majority of the year.  Each year is better than the last...... so far

[manicscousers]

hiya, rightee..welcome to the site 
we only have just over half a plot but keep ourselves in veggies for most of the year, depending on the weather, apart from potatoes and maybe onions at the end of the stored ones 
when the ww2 things were worked out, they didn't account for growing exotics like we do now 

[rightee]

Thanks for all your replies!

[ceres]

Times have changed.  When allotments were supposed to keep a family of 4 in veg for 75% of the year, they hadn't heard of 5 a day.  And we grow crops now which take up a lot of space which were unheard of in those times - squashes, pumpkins, sweetcorn etc.  I have a 10 rod plot and I can only provide around 50% of my needs.  If I gave the whole plot over to veg I might get close to 100% but then I'd have no fruit and vice versa.

[rightee]

I suppose there is an issue of calories here. If we wanted to eat potatoes all year we could provide most of our calorific needs but it wouldn't be a very exciting diet?

I'm also thinking about crops which crow well on allotments but don't transport very well (in supermarket lorries). These cash-crops would be beneficial to be grown in urban areas as you would get more money for them if you sold them locally.

[ceres]

I suppose there is an issue of calories here. If we wanted to eat potatoes all year we could provide most of our calorific needs but it wouldn't be a very exciting diet?

I'm also thinking about crops which crow well on allotments but don't transport very well (in supermarket lorries). These cash-crops would be beneficial to be grown in urban areas as you would get more money for them if you sold them locally.

While you could theoretically exist on only potatoes, it wouldn't be particularly healthy.  You wouldn't get a good enough range of nutrients from a single veg.

On a lot of allotment sites, selling your produce isn't permitted.  Historically the space was to enable you to grow what you need to eat, not to run a business.  People generally trade or give away surpluses.  There was a thread on this not too long ago.

[portsmouth30]

I have 20 rods in total, and only just managed to get through 75% of the year! This includes fruit and some exotics.
Try your local records office for details of plots that used to excist on the Wirral, if not get in touch eith the local council, sometimes they can be quite helpful.
Let us know what you find out in regards to yields etc