Author Topic: Selling allotment produce (Read 11195 times)

norfolklass · « **Reply #20 on:** August 15, 2008, 13:35:48 »

I received a letter from the council last year and this year inviting me to take a table and sell my surplus produce at the local autumn fayre at Notcutts garden centre. and if I agreed to do it on both Saturday and Sunday I'd get next year's allotment rent paid by the council. sadly, I don't have any surplus produce, again ::) must remember to grow more next year!

valmarg · « **Reply #21 on:** August 15, 2008, 19:05:49 »

If memory serves me (which it does occasionally) the restriction on selling produce from allotments was intended to prevent unscrupulous professional market gardeners getting land for cheap, and running it as a business.

Nowadays, when you've sown it and grown it, how you dispose of it is your business. ;D ;D

valmarg

grawrc · « **Reply #22 on:** August 15, 2008, 19:24:51 »

This varies from one council to another. The legal bottom line here at least is don't sell stuff.

I give it away when folk will take it!!

Old bird · « **Reply #23 on:** August 17, 2008, 10:34:58 »

Hi all!

It is all very well to take the moral high ground and say "give your stuff away" well my immediate neighbours do well out of me but I am a single lady, with a large mortgage no savings just enough to live on and even if I give all my spare produce away I will still have some going to waste! I feed my chickens on as much of my "spare" as I can. I, personally, don't see the problem with making a small amount of "seed money" "chicken food". I certainly am not doing it as a business my 1 full time and two part time jobs pay for the basics. But don't always assume that people are possibly as well off as yourself and a small amount to pay towards next years seeds will come in very handy.

Old Bird
:-\

grawrc · « **Reply #24 on:** August 17, 2008, 11:11:03 »

No moral high ground taken. I'm simply stating the fact that our constitution stipulates that we may not sell our produce. I know that some of the other sites get around this by "giving" stuff to folk who come to their open days in return for a donation to the Association funds.

Anyway are we not talking stuff that's surplus to requirements here or stuff that can't easily be stored? Surely better to give it away than let it rot?

If you can offset your costs by selling your produce then I have no problem with that but my site doesn't allow it.

My post was simply intended to add to the information around this issue. There was no criticism of others either implied or intended.

carrot-cruncher · « **Reply #25 on:** August 17, 2008, 11:16:20 »

I acquired a 2nd hand chest freezer so I could freeze as much spare produce as possible to offset the cost of living. Where I can't freeze produce (i.e cucumber, tomatoes etc) I offer it to my neighbours/friends. I only offer it to those who I know are willing to pay a nominal fee for organically-grown, freshly harvested produce. Any funds go into a seperate container to pay for seeds, compost and accessories in forthcoming years.

I have on occasions swapped surplus produce with workmates who also do gardening. Earlier this year I was able to off-load excessive rhubarb to various work mates in exchange for items such as free-range eggs and 2nd hand books.

CC

Borlotti · « **Reply #26 on:** August 17, 2008, 17:08:57 »

The rent for the allotment is cheap. I do not believe that people would sell food. I am a pensioner and poor but that is so, so embarrassing. I worked hard, brought up my children, without a husband, as he was useless, and then worked worked hard. After 25 years the mortgage is paid, no children to support, so what are these old people moaning about. A lovely allotment for less then a pound a week, and then sell the produce. I don't believe it. I think the families with children are hard up, and the old pensioners, who get free bus passes, heating allowance and reduced Council tax are a lot of old moaners. Most of them have paid off their mortage, if not, why not, and do not have to support children, or feed them. I was very hard up when my children were young, but over 60, free everything, and no clothes to buy as I have them all.

Kingfisher · « **Reply #27 on:** August 17, 2008, 21:32:35 »

Free to me is free to others, but it costs me to set up my allotment, in the fist place, hundreds infact i.e shed, compost, Seeds, Fertilisers, slug pellets, Tools and anything else that I have spent along the way, trying to produce food for ourselves, but feeding the rest of the close for free would mean that I have a p*** printed across my forehead.

We also have chickens, giving all my spare veg and eggs to my neighbor's, wow wish I was my neighbour, also alot of people taking on allotments now are doing it for survival not just for fun, I agree with you old bird, well said.

Old bird · « **Reply #28 on:** August 18, 2008, 10:49:31 »

Carrot cruncher - you can freeze tomatoes!

They freeze really well and are obviously only useful for cooking when de-frozen - but do well in roasted vegetables etc! Just shove them in a bag - as they are - no blanching or anything!

Old Bird
:D

growmore · « **Reply #29 on:** August 18, 2008, 10:54:05 »

quote author=keef link=topic=44779.msg447841#msg447841 date=1218663856]
I've just found out that the PC in the next village have passed a rule preventing allotment holders from selling thier produce - unless its for raising funds for the allotment. Are they allowed to do this ?

Does'nt effect me, but i'd be interest to know what people think...
[/quote]

I contributed to this thread to answer the question asked .
Apparently as the law stands they are in their rights to do this ..
It was written into the allotments act that
The plot must be cultivated by the occupier for the production of vegetables and fruit crops for consumption by himself or his family.Also witten into the acts was that if a certain number of people approach their council for land to be used for allotment purposes the council should provide it ..I think we wear 2 hats at times .
We choose to ignore one, but then quote the other at every available opportunity ..
Surely common sense tells us that if we have got more produce then we need, it's far better giving it away to someone who can eat it than throwing it on the compost heap.. That is far removed from someone setting a plot full of veg with the purpose of selling it ...Or some one paying a very small rent for a plot and erecting green- houses/polytunnels with the purpose of growng bedding plants etc to sell..
As for how much it costs us to grow our produce .
You could take a plot with just a spade, a fork and a rake and still grow stuff for your table .
That is our personal choice no one makes us spend our money on stuff like sheds fancy tools raised beds etc.
We do it cos we want to do it it's out hobby, what other hobbies cost nothing these days? not so many I think .
I remember when we didnt have the money to throw at our allotments , sheds railings etc were all sourced for free from orange boxes. old air raid shelters etc..
We had peeling rounds where folks saved their veg peelings for us which we collected on our push bikes and the folks got a cheap piece of pork or fowl at Christmas.
Sourcing old bent nails to take em back to the plot to straighten and use em again ..
Plodding though proper snow and ice after a shift on nights to light the old coppers to boil stuff up for the pigs ..I could tell you stories that would make a glass eye cry ;D
Allotments then were more of a neccessity than a hobby..They were a way of life..

P.S. You would deff need a hoe as well to go with the other tools .
.PPS..
Here is what an adult was allowed for a week under rationing that lasted for 14 years.
Butter: 50g (2oz) Bacon and ham: 100g (4oz) Margarine: 100g (4oz)
Sugar: 225g (8oz). Meat: To the value of 1s.2d (one shilling and sixpence per week. That is about 6p today) Milk: 3 pints(1800ml) occasionally dropping to 2 pints (1200ml).
Cheese: 2oz (50g) Eggs: 1 fresh egg a week. Tea: 50g (2oz).
Jam: 450g (1lb) every two months. Dried eggs 1 packet every four weeks. Sweets: 350g(12oz) every four weeks
What price an allotment then :)

Kingfisher · « **Reply #30 on:** August 18, 2008, 12:13:17 »

I am sure that back in the 50's thing where very tough, we live for today, and today is very different to then, but that does not mean that it is not tough now we must not forget that people are losing there homes, and they have forcast things to get worse, veg is going up in price all the time, and can not be compared to the war days as far as prices go, cost of living is getting more expensive also taking into account that back then it was up to the man to provide for there family, now we have to have both partners to keep a house going I think that growing veg to sell is not right but to sell left is ok, at the moment not all people are poor but who knows what is to come. not having sheds and thing for your allotment is fine if you live down the road from your allotment, but allotments are not plentiful in some area's, some have to travel far to get one, that means carrying every thing you need every time you go to the allotment. also the human race and nature strives to improve through evolution.

Old bird · « **Reply #31 on:** August 18, 2008, 12:54:31 »

Growmore

Probably why there was not so much obesity around in those days!!!

Mind you 1shilling and two pence in those days for meat was pretty generous I think! I do not know what the average wage was but I reckon that would buy a fair bit of meat - they used to eat a lot more meat in those days!

Interesting though!

Old Bird

;D

growmore · « **Reply #32 on:** August 18, 2008, 12:59:40 »

hi Kingfisher, I agree with most of what you say. Most have probably sold a bit of veg when They had a glut to help with cost of seeds etc ..
But anyone saying we have a right to do it is misleading any new plot holders .
As for it being for the man to provide,
Her indoors may disagree with you as she used to give the pigs their last meal and lock them up in winter when i was on afternoon shift . Till she saw me throwing them pieces of coal for them to chomp on. Then she realised they had big teeth . She used to mix the swill, but get the old guy on next plot to feed them . Until I built her a chute over the trough so she could feed them from outside ;D

Flunky · « **Reply #33 on:** August 18, 2008, 14:57:18 »

Rules, smules. My veg. I will do what I like with it. As I rule I give to my nearest and dearest. I could'nt charge my mum (could I ? LOL). However. If I wanted to sell I would. I think we will sell our excess eggs. Helps for their food as already stated.

Kingfisher · « **Reply #34 on:** August 18, 2008, 16:43:30 »

well I sell our excess eggs, a couple of the neighbers buy them off me, we have 14 chickens now but ten are battery hens and they are not laying at the moment, we think they in malt but the 4 we purchased are laying well so but we have managed to get enough to pay for the next bag of feed, I like this allotment and chicken keeping larky ;D

kitty · « **Reply #35 on:** August 18, 2008, 17:14:20 »

lots of good interesting posts here-i have a job which this year(and for a few previously too!)is not earning me much money-but its one i wouldnt give up for anything,and i do it by choice so i dont moan
-but to subsidise this the lottie is a necessity-and what i dont eat i barter-nowt in the rules say you cant barter is there?!
its a very satisfying way of life-the last of my savings went -after a lot of thought-on a small poly tunnel-and its worth is weight in gold ;D
i have downsized(hollow laugh)til i cannot downsized any more-but i enjoy the lottie and my job -and most of all i enjoy the excess with which to BARTER!!!
kitty
xx

kenkew · « **Reply #36 on:** August 19, 2008, 15:09:16 »

If the allotment is Council land then selling 'on site' isn't allowed. It's running a business. Off site you can sell what you like, your kitching sink, your cabbages or your mother-in-law but you are supposed to declare for tax purposes your profits. There are some quirky bye laws associated with allotments which differ area to area.
Quirky Allotment Bye-laws would make for an interesting thread!

Hyacinth · « **Reply #37 on:** August 19, 2008, 15:20:39 »

Tomorrow I'm selling half a cucumber to a very old OAP - for 50 pence :P

She reckons it'll be a bargain and a treat for her as it undercuts in price the cucs she can buy at Tesbury's - and hey! it will have taste!

If I refused the 50 pence, what would happen? She'd buy me a bottle of wine at £4.99 from the same store, is wot..

My other ladies will buy runner beans, etc. when/if? the glut ever arises.

None of them would be at all comfortable in accepting the produce as freebies - and I've my liver to think of ;D

Borlotti · « **Reply #38 on:** August 19, 2008, 16:08:23 »

I am sorry, but I can not agree. I will not sell my extra produce, I don't believe what I am hearing. I enjoy my allotment and enjoy giving extra produce away, a thank is all I need. Am I a Saint, or not. Whatever you do is OK by me but I am not running a business, just enjoying my retirement. Any donations would go to charity. My hobby should not be supported by selling produce. I really, really feel strongly about this and perhaps I should not visit this site anymore. I recycle and get things out of skips, but hopefully would not sell. Hope you pay tax on what you sell. My friend was grateful for her beans that she will give to her daughter who has cancer and is trying a fresh veg. diet, and my lovely neighbours give me big thank you for the courgettes. I am not rich, and do not have a lovely shed on my allotment and only a small house and tiny garden but am grateful for my lovely allotment, provided by the Council for £45 a year. A bargain and if I can help someone with fresh vegs, so what. If you want to keep chickens why moan about the cost of their feed and sell their eggs. I just don't believe what I am hearing. Does anyone else agree with me or should I just shut up.

valmarg · « **Reply #39 on:** August 19, 2008, 16:24:33 »

Calm down Borlotti, what Alishka is saying is that there are people out there who appreciate your produce, but are too proud to accept 'charity'. They prefer to pay. You can give the money to any charity you like, but you both end up happy. ;D

valmarg

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Author Topic: Selling allotment produce (Read 11195 times)