Newbie retention

[Sarah-b]

This is another request for ideas.
Since my last thread about how to get people to take negelcted plots, we have had a lot of success and have only a relatively few empty plots left on our site.
What can we now do to retain the new plot holders. Most of whom probably don't know what they've let themselves in for.
Some have (against advice) rotovated, and some have made some lovely beds. But how do we convince them to keep going when things get tough next year? Cos really it takes a few years to become master of a previously neglected plot.
We have a meeting at the town hall tomorrow night and I would like to have a few suggestions up my sleeve.

Thanks,
Sarah.

[ACE]

Get down the allotments in your bikini next summer

Make the feel as if they are a part of the community, and ask for their help now and again. They will not feel completely useless then. Summer b.b.q., pumpkin and sunflower comps., mince pies and mulled wine near xmas all make a happy crew.

[Doris_Pinks]

Heritage, someone tried on our site last year to run a summer barbie, we were all excited, thought it would be great fun, then the council said no we couldn't do it as we wouldn't be covered by insurance...killjoys!

[ken (69)]

Hi Sarah...someone  (on the cheap) to plough or rotovate the plots (preferably already weed free) at the appropriate time, would be a big help , and as they say in Desert Island Discs, an inexhaustable supply of manure .Stables and Jobbing Gardeners/Landscapers have to PAY to get rid of muck and uprisings, so do a deal.The problem there is controlling what they dump on you, but most stuff is compostable and the rest for burning. Regards Ken.

[lancelotment]

Sarah,

I agree with Ken entirely.  No new starter should be given a plot that is unworkable.  The council should have an obligation to clear the plot first and hand over a plot suitable for cultivation.  They wouldn't give a football team 6 lengths of wood and tell them to make their own goalposts, cut their own grass and mark out their own pitch!  Why should an allotment holder be expected to work on something that resembles a tropical rain forest.  Could anything (apart from vandalism) be more disheartening? Lance

[Roy Bham UK]

Sarah,

I agree with Ken entirely.  No new starter should be given a plot that is unworkable.  The council should have an obligation to clear the plot first and hand over a plot suitable for cultivation.  They wouldn't give a football team 6 lengths of wood and tell them to make their own goalposts, cut their own grass and mark out their own pitch!  Why should an allotment holder be expected to work on something that resembles a tropical rain forest.  Could anything (apart from vandalism) be more disheartening? Lance

Couldn't agree more

[liza]

I agree with Ken entirely.  No new starter should be given a plot that is unworkable.  The council should have an obligation to clear the plot first and hand over a plot suitable for cultivation.  They wouldn't give a football team 6 lengths of wood and tell them to make their own goalposts, cut their own grass and mark out their own pitch!  Why should an allotment holder be expected to work on something that resembles a tropical rain forest.  Could anything (apart from vandalism) be more disheartening?



Unfortunately , a lot of councils do just that.......I took one over in October 2003, and despite promises from the council to remove the old iron, plastic etc from my lottie, I still have an eight foot wide strip at the bottom of my allotment waiting to be cleared.  I can't even burn any of it because its against the rules!  Everytine I fone up I get " Oh! did we say we'd do it?" or  " Are you sure we said that?" or......"Its the contractors.........they are supposed to have been round!"
Whatever it is, I would love to pay a reduced rent for the land I've been unable to use, but I'm afraid I might get put off altogether if I got that militant.
Liza

[Roy Bham UK]

Unfortunately , a lot of councils do just that.......I took one over in October 2003, and despite promises from the council to remove the old iron, plastic etc from my lottie, I still have an eight foot wide strip at the bottom of my allotment waiting to be cleared.  I can't even burn any of it because its against the rules!  Everytine I fone up I get " Oh! did we say we'd do it?" or  " Are you sure we said that?" or......"Its the contractors.........they are supposed to have been round!"
Whatever it is, I would love to pay a reduced rent for the land I've been unable to use, but I'm afraid I might get put off altogether if I got that militant.
Liza

I said it before, I'll say it again, write a polite letter to your local MP explaining the problems you have been having with the council.
With an election coming soon they will act, so get writing this side of the election date and what em move. They need your vote

[Granny_Smith]

Sarah,
Our plots are on land owned by the local parish council. When you take on a plot, they plough it for you and don't ask for rent until the following year ! We have water on tap and can put up sheds. There's car parking and picnic tables and a lovely bunch of 'locals' from the village who all keep an eye out for each others plots. We have a shop and recycling area. Any 'newbies' are always made to feel welcome and given endless advice and support. I wonder why there aren't any plots free at the moment?
I think that the feeling that you belong there is an important factor in keeping people interrested - if the neighbours are friendly then no-one wants to move on. Unfortunately, people are people and can be unpredictable.

[wardy]

I think most allotments are the same.  They are overgrown and neglected and if you want one you have to clear and dispose of the rubbish yourself.  It does put people off obviously or there would be no derelict allotments.   Some allotments have very good associations and will do the work themselves in order to attract and retain newbies.  It seems a perfect job for probationers as they would be putting something back into the community but if you suggest it you would be told that they don't do demeaning work.  We found that when our community organised a litter pick the probation service said they would help but didn't as it was too cold.  The primary school children turned up though with bright smiling faces.  Also most parish councils who own allotments don't care about them and would rather sell them off as building land or just let folk use them to dump their rubbish.   

[simon404]

I wish I new the answer to this one, having seen people come and go at our site. On the whole,people who are prepared to listen to advice do best, others seem to think that gardening knowledge must somehow be in the bones and that they can just make it up as they go along. Perhaps the only answer is for councils to pay someone to teach newcomers. Or perhaps allotments should be more expensive(£100 a year?) so then people might make more of an effort?

[gavin]

A bit tongue in cheek - but I know what kept us going through the first months of hacking away a jungle;  every couple of weeks somebody from another plot would share some of whatever they were harvesting . 

Didn't dare give up after all that generosity!!!!!!!

All best - Gavin

[alotalot]

This idea depends on having a mower available for newbies to use. Suggest they have a large part of their plot put down to grass, it's easy to maintain and keep looking good and nice to sunbathe on. Whenever more growing space is needed they can just dig another bed.

[wardy]

I'm doing just that lotalot.  Massive weedy allotment so strimmed it down then put the petrol mower over it.  It's a bit humpy and bumpy (old brassicas stumps and stuff) but it looked really good - just like a great big scruffy lawn. Only cut one bed out to start with, have some bits under sheet mulch and will cut another one when my back gets better.  It makes the job seem more manageable rather than trying to do loads at once.  Every weekend my OH and I went and did a bit of work we would do a bit of sunbathing and eating and drinking too (had a couple of barbies)  Great fun