Author Topic: The Good Allotment Survey (V0.2) (Read 7558 times)

Unwashed · « **on:** July 27, 2011, 22:57:28 »

Hello Again. Here's the previous thread where I introduced the idea.

Please will you take the survey again. It's now draft V0.2 so still needs some tuning.

You can see the weightings against the individual questions. Please let me have your comments on the weights and questions.

Ultimately I'd like us all to reach some kind of consensus about what a good allotment site looks like.

The Good Allotment Survey (V0.2)

Many thanks.

Digeroo · « **Reply #1 on:** July 27, 2011, 23:44:02 »

Sorry but we are now down to 20%. The new survey is much worse than the first.

You seem to give great weight to things which we do not have but which actually we don't seem to miss.

hippydave · « **Reply #2 on:** July 28, 2011, 00:10:39 »

ours got 32% but why do taps get less than dip tanks, we provide our own water butts that fill from the taps or im my case from my 2 sheds and the greenhouse.

Squash64 · « **Reply #3 on:** July 28, 2011, 05:09:10 »

88% now.

Jeannine · « **Reply #4 on:** July 28, 2011, 05:34:06 »

We have gone down to 84.. for three reasons which I will address.

Tanks..we don't have tanks we have taps every 30 metres with long heavy duty hoses attached to each one..I think this is better

Inspections..We don't need formal inspections because we have block reps who gently keep an eye on everything, have a quiet word if need be and everything is neat.We have a system in place to assist if there is illness that causes a problem and have a buddy system for holidays.

Huts.We don't need huts as we have free access to tools and rotavators etc, and we have community huts with access codes to get in, I have no need to store anything on my plot.

XX Jeannine

Squash64 · « **Reply #5 on:** July 28, 2011, 05:49:17 »

After I read Jeannine's reply I did it again and we now have 84%

We have taps near all the plots and we can fill our own water buts from them with hoses, but we are not allowed to water with a hose. (hope this makes sense)

TEL · « **Reply #6 on:** July 28, 2011, 06:18:30 »

18% not the best :)

Jeannine · « **Reply #7 on:** July 28, 2011, 06:22:47 »

I just read the comments on the first posting and wanted to add.I don't think the survey gives a true indication .I am no longer in the Uk but that shouldn;t make any difference.

Our site is very well organised.

We only take new members in the Spring and they have to attand a formal orintation meeting at which they get to meet the exec, see the rules before they sign up etc.

We grow food for the food bank in designated areas.

Everyone has to commit to 10 hours volunteer work at scheduled work parties and an annual task which may be as simple as cookies for an event, pruning some of our community fruit bushes or building bird houses.

We have public garden walks with folks on hand to answer questions about joining us or gardening in general.

We are totally organic and it is enforced, this may be a downer to some folks I guess but those of us who join up consider this important.

Our plots are small which for me is a big downer but we are allowed 4.

We have no empty plots and none that are not neat and so far I have not heard of any problems with grumbling about the exec, actually the opposite is true. Everyone is friendly, nobody is complaining and everyone does their bit cheerfully to maintain the whole place.

Overall our site is excellent and the questionarre does not reflect this.

I am sure I am not the only person who gardens on a good site with no problems.

XX Jeannine

djbrenton · « **Reply #8 on:** July 28, 2011, 07:10:06 »

There are just a few questions that are too subjective IMHO.

It is not an absolute that it is better if everything is voted for by all the members rather than decided by committee. On a large site this just isn't practical We would have to book a hall large enough for 150-200 people every month and then only 20 or 30 would turn up. Most people don't want to get involved in decision making, they just want to be left alone to garden and there would be pressure on them to become involved if a site wasn't run by someone. Marking a site down because it has a well run committe, elected democratically every year isn't well thought out.

Again, you're marking down on a subjective basis that dip tanks are better than taps. Our plots are 600 sq yds each. i really wouldn't prefer fetching water by can from a dip tank rather than filling butts placed strategically around my plots with a hose.

You mark down for having regular skips. With proper controls, these are an asset. Individual trips to the tip with broken glass or other non-compostable waste is, in itself, wasteful. Of course, in an ideal world, all waste would be eliminated, but you are judging this by your own preferences/beliefs rather than what the members might want. I consider a well run site to be one that is run in accordance with the members wishes, not articial and subjective criteria. Our members would be fuming if we told them we were no longer going to arrange skips.

Another very subjective question relates to the site being open to visitors. This is not, of itself, a good thing. If members don't want strangers wandering the site then it's nobodies business but the members. No-one can say it is a bad thing if that's how they want the site to be. We have some women who would feel vulnerable if our gates weren't locked. We are a hedged site so there is no overview by others and safety is therefore important. If we left our main gates open then some people would feel the need to lock their plot gate whilst working, not conducive to community spirit there eh! We also have concerns about travellers coming onto our car park.

In short, a few questions are more about how close our sites come to your own ideal rather than, in some cases, what is objectively desirable in a site.

1066 · « **Reply #9 on:** July 28, 2011, 07:14:19 »

Same as last time

Still think it is tricky to measure something so qualative and subjective. What is good and works on one site isn't the case on another

Good luck anyway :)

Ellen K · « **Reply #10 on:** July 28, 2011, 07:35:43 »

11% now :o

What Digeroo said: it's the Qs about policies and committees that killed us.

Squash64 · « **Reply #11 on:** July 28, 2011, 07:41:00 »

The points made by djbrenton regarding decision-making, watering and skips apply to our site too.

Our site is open to visitors on Sunday mornings, but is locked for the rest of the time. The allotments are set inside a park and not overlooked by houses so it wouldn't feel safe if the gates were open all the time.

Another thing I've just thought of - the environmental plan. We don't have a formal plan, but we do put up bird and bat boxes, have woodpiles, and hedgehog-friendly areas. We also inform plotholders about things like ladybird larvae and bee-attracting flowers. We discourage the use of rat-poison.
Would this count as a plan?

Trevor_D · « **Reply #12 on:** July 28, 2011, 07:43:34 »

We're now 63% (silver), which I feel is about right for what we do and where we're trying to go.

On a few specific points:

Water: dip tanks win hands down over taps, which are open to abuse (ie. hosepipes). We have a dip tank on or near every plot, and lay in more as they are needed. Most Council sites are shielded from the real cost of water. We pay our own bill - and do our own repairs & maintenance - so no way are we going to allow hoses. We've just paid a bill of close on £1000 for the last 12 months!

Site policy: agree with DJ - it's unwieldy on a large site. Our AGM is well attended - upwards of half the membership - and they decide on priorities for the year ahead. We report back to them regularly, either through the official channels, or face to face.

Sheds: only a minor point, but our lease specifies that permission must be sought.

Socials: a formal evening event implies either a site hut or the hire of a hall. We don't do these because members haven't shown an interest, although our BBQ was well attended (even in the rain!).

Opening to the public: our members don't want the site open on a regular basis, although we do go out with plant sales at community events; and there are mutterings about running our own on site.

Skips: we don't have "regular" skips, but we do try to keep on top of rubbish; in fact we've had a skip every year for the past three years, but it's been discussed each time. (It costs £180 a go!)

Nothing about vacant or unattended plots? And - I don't know how it could be measured - about the "feeling" or "buzz" around the site. (I've had quite a few newcomers comment on this.)

Keep up the good work. (Although I agree that what works on one site doesn't necessarily work on another.)

betula · « **Reply #13 on:** July 28, 2011, 07:43:44 »

30% for us but as we are a brand new site without a committee some of the questions could not be answered properly.

So far the Farmer owner is in the driving seat.

saddad · « **Reply #14 on:** July 28, 2011, 07:53:22 »

57% (Bronze) down from 69%...
The feedback page at the end is a good feature.. :)

BAK · « **Reply #15 on:** July 28, 2011, 07:54:01 »

35% on V0.1 and 29% on V0.2.

As mentioned by several other people, it is too subjective.

It is also skewed to larger sites that are much more likely to have facilities or processes in place.

Ours is a moderate-sized site (55 plots average circa. 5 poles). I would describe it as an effective, well-run site in its class.

pumkinlover · « **Reply #16 on:** July 28, 2011, 07:54:31 »

We got silver this time.

I agree with djbrenton that some q's are a subjective.

A few years ago we asked everyone to stop filling the baths this is because people used to leave the taps running while they were watering and they were overflowing and wasting water. Also some people do not like dip tanks as they fear getting blight.

We are going to buy a cattle trough with a ballcock on one tap but will also put a tap there so people have the choice. If this is popular we will do the same on the other taps-eventually when got the money.

I've already said about site hut- nice but no- where for it.

No web site but I put my phone and mobile and e-mail address on all communications. I send out regular e-mails to keep people in touch- such as the blight warning I got recently

I publicise site meetings now so people know and can come and talk to us if they have any issues.

Still not sure about the dung thing- I know what you are saying but I have only just got a contact for free manure- but up until then I do not know how to get something for nothing. these things seem to be more available on sites where the council run the site ie not self managed :-\.

First purely social event is next monday night! :D :D :D A faith supper- unfortunatly I had to send another e-mail to explain what that was - I thought everyone knew :-[ :-[ :-[

However the site survey is a good idea and I know you are asking for our input to tweak it. I seem to have rambled-sorrry :-[ :-[ :-[

tonybloke · « **Reply #17 on:** July 28, 2011, 08:30:56 »

free dung/manure?
maybe this is available in urban areas, but as our sites are mainly on the edge of rural/agricultural land, and farmers don't see it as a waste issue, they see it as fertiliser for the land!
our tenants have to purchase their own manure from various farmers / livery / stables.

we do occasionally get offers of free manure, but this is the clearings from commercial turkey - rearing sheds, and contains mostly wood-chip.

still not completed the survey, as our lot are a group of allotment sites ( 14 sites)

mickhindle · « **Reply #18 on:** July 28, 2011, 08:48:11 »

Sorry to report.......a very poor 20%!

djbrenton · « **Reply #19 on:** July 28, 2011, 10:48:05 »

One other minor point I forgot. There's no free manure on our site, but there are large amounts of leaves dropped by the council which are left to turn into leaf mould which is free. There are a number of potentially free soil conditioners as distinct from dung, leaf mould and spent hops for example.

News:

Author Topic: The Good Allotment Survey (V0.2) (Read 7558 times)

pumkinlover