Garden produce business run from allotment

[pg]

A Nottinghamshire allotmenter seems to be happily running a garden produce business from his allotment, supplying local restaurants and and getting some good publicity:

http://www.mowdirect.co.uk/mowdirectnews/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1082

Good for him. But I was just wondering, isn't there a clause in many allotment contracts about not running a business? Perhaps Nottinghamshire's Chilwell local council is specially welcoming to entrepreneurs.

[pg]

[Emagggie]

Yes, there is one in ours.

[kitten]

I thought there was one in our contract, but our lottie neighbour grows only strawbs and sells them to local shops to sell onto customers, so i'm guessing not then...  ::)

[cambourne7]

there is one in ours but swaps are ok :)

[kt.]

Not aloud on our site. If it is a business then there are all sorts of rates to be paid. Though we do swapsies between ourselves.

[Fork]

Put your surplus veggies in a box and offer the box for sale with some veg thrown in for free  ;D

Let the tax man pick the bones out of that one!

[SueSteve]

At ours we are only allowed to grow veg for own consumption.

[Robert_Brenchley]

A lot of rules tend to be honoured in the breach; as long as it doesn't cause a problem to anyone, I don't see why he shouldn't.

[Trixiebelle]

We have a 'not for profit' clause in our contract (also in Nottingham)

I agree AND disagree with the owner of the Chilwell allotment being allowed to sell produce but I can't quite explain why at the moment  ::)

On the one hand it seems unfair that someone can make a profit out a ridiculously low rent for land when many people are wanting it for leisure/enjoyment/necessity to feed families etc.

On the other hand, it seems fair that someone with business acumen should make money by selling fresh/organic food to those who want it.

I'm sitting on a VERY TALL fence at the moment. And I'm afraid of heights!

[Kea]

so is it profit if you spent the money buying seeds, tools or plants for the next crop?

[saddad]

Our rules say you can't but at least two horticultural businesses ran from the site in the 50's and 60's... and one tenant has a plot full of Runner beans... nobody can eat that many...
::)

[RSJK]

I do not see what harm is being done, I sell my produce to two local shops who are glad of it ( Good local fresh veg ) better then foreign crap grown abroad and sold in supermarkets who, at the end of the day have put British growers on the scrap heap. Most of my profits go back into the allotment society I belong to and the rest subsidises my low wages.

[djbrenton]

The harm in it is that commercialism can creep up on allotments and end up beyond a joke. A couple of years ago, someone posted on here that the plots along one edge of their allotments were now all reneted to the adjoining farm for growing wheat. What's the significant difference between that and growing veg primarily for sale.

The allotment act defines allotments and their use. Would it be OK for a Council to point to some fields they rent to a farmer as proof they are supplying allotments? Of course not. But how about pointing to some land rented to a market gardener? How about land designated as allotments but used for market gardening?  Imagine all the allotments in your area were taken by businesses. Would that be OK?

You see how, once you allow anything other than small scale sale of surplus, it's hard to draw a line that doesn't completely pervert the intention of providing allotments.
Shouldn't people who want to run businesses pay commercial rents?