Hi Everyone we need your advise

[Hobbit Meadow]

After years of dreaming we have finally put the house on the market, and we are off to turn our dream of a smallholding in to play.

We are currently looking at 15 Acres for rare breed pig farming, a small dairy herd of cows and  chickens.
The question we have for you all is we want to set 4 acres aside for allotments so others can grow crops and such like.

Can any of you give us ideas how best to split the 4 acres and what would be on you wish list for an allotment apart from never ending fertiliser as we have that covered we are also looking at a 1.5 acre lake going in as a water catcher and trout farm

please help us so we can get it right for others.

This is not a for profit venture more of a self sufficiency fed up with high prices venture

Mark and Bev
Hobbit Meadow

[Hobbit Meadow]

[goodlife]

Gosh..you are brave souls..but I do wish you'll enjoy the new life style..it ain't easy ride...
I've got alloment that is 1/4 acres..and for most of folks it is too large..
Maybe you could start looking for division on something along 100-150sqm. ..still reasonably big...and possibly some smaller?...like starter plots fort those who are new for growing?
Is the land just blank 'canvas'?
Generally people would like running water..maybe loo..I don't think you have to provide too much services as such..but making clear for start with what is allowed on/grown the land and what not will make things easier...good and clear rules..
Maybe you could offer in future some of the muck and bedding for free or against small charge?
How much are you going to be involved in actual running of the allotment site? 

[goodlife]

Thought more..you need to think the access to the plots carefully..where would people park they cars?..if allowed next to plots then you need wide enough avenues..what about winter?..things get muddy..so some sort of hard surface may need to be in place..car park?
Security of the plots..fencing..locking..gates...etc etc.
Our site don't have any running water..most of us collect rain water and most summers this is quite adequate.
Would you allow stuctures like greenhouses..tunnels, sheds etc??? Or maybe communal shed or storage facility?

[Hobbit Meadow]

our motives are a little selfish in a way, we are planning on giving as much muck and bedding for free,
also we hope that people we offer space to will be willing to trade for meat eggs and milk.

we are trying to cut out the high shop prices and run an exchange system neither myself or Bev can grow a paper flower let alone veg so it will be a two way street,  hopefully every one involved will eat well for there labour.

we are planning huts and toilet facility's on the theme of the site we are calling it hobbit meadow and all shelters and barns will be round strawbuild buildings
Hard road and car parking as there will be small amount of cattle traffic

[chriscross1966]

After adequate access, I'd say top of the list is water., on a site that size I'd guess 6 self-filling drinking trough things would be about right. Don't put in taps, they'll get left on, some selfish bugger will put a hoze on, it all gets messy.....

Next is a toilet of some description..... Kazubaloos don't need any connection to sewage and can therefore go anywhere a hole can be dug, but if the site is near the main buildings then having a  toilet connected up to the mains might be easier/cheaper....

A communal rotavator and petrol powered shredder is a nice idea, but there has to be rules re: petrol or else a sensibly run booking out and hire scheme.... thing is if you're running a smallholding you'll probably have a tank of red on site anyway so you can make the deisel cost part of the hire, saving the arguing cos you can do a lot of rotavating or shredding on a gallon of it.....

[BarriedaleNick]

Well done on giving up the ratrace! Being meaning to do it but life keeps getting in the way..

Its a great idea to setup some plots as I find the whole communal aspect of it ome of the most rewarding things about it all..

My simple list would be:

Water tanks.  Agree to no taps esp if you have a water meter!
A simple set of rules - pref one sheet of A4
Some sort of limited management structure - there are always issues and irritations to cope with...
A toilet if you are out in the sticks (our site doesn't have one so it ain't necessary)

[antipodes]

4 acres sounds huge!
Our site has 40 100sq m plots. It seems quite large! It has a car park, water tanks, a toilet and a communal shed as well as individual ones.

Try looking for allotment sites on Google Earth so you can see how it is set out!

for example ours is http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=rue+du+printemps,+st+herblain+44&aq=&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=13.418145,34.145508&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Chemin+du+Printemps,+44800+Saint-Herblain,+Loire-Atlantique,+Pays+de+la+Loire,+France&ll=47.208077,-1.621865&spn=0.00047,0.001042&t=h&z=20&iwloc=A

[1066]

well done to the pair of you and good luck

one other thing I'd have a think about is the tenancy agreements, how long, do's and don't etc. NSALG might be a good place to start http://www.nsalg.org.uk/

[Robert_Brenchley]

If you're going to have communal tools, remember someone has to maintain them. We've given up letting ours out because all the burden fell on one person, and it was too much.

[SPUDLY]

I know it's a bit of a dampener but have you looked into the insurance side of your plans. Hope it works well for you.

[saddad]

Either way welcome to A4A...  ;D

[Good Gourd 2]

No advice, but goodluck and enjoy.  Wish you all the Best.

[cornykev]

Welcome and good luck, as said above water is a must, we have dip tanks and they are ideal, but save your own with guttering and butts everywhere possible
Toilets, roads and parking
I wouldn't go down the road of shared tools but a lock up would be good
Fencing
Have you thought about a field for campers
8)

[Digeroo]

I am on a site set up two years ago on a smallholding.  We have a communal shed and a water supply which comes from a well.  The water table is not far away here.

We park the cars on the road and have to walk down a lane.  This is available briefly for deliveries only.  Everything has to be taken in in buckets or wheelbarrow.

I think that the farmer gets various veg.  Price of allotment reasonable.  I would like a communcal polytunnel.  We are not allowed sheds, greenhouses and tunnels on the plots.  Unfortunately we do not have a toilet but do have a communal shed.

We have some old shared tools but they are not necessary.  We also have manure you will have to be careful where you source your animal feeds to keep it free of weedkillers.  We have had some issues with this.

In general it is a great site. I love it.  Good luck with your venture.  You will also have to check out the legal situation they will not be subject to allotment acts.  I think the insurance is done through NFU.

We have about 50 plots and most people have approxiately 5 poles with a few with 10.    They are in stripes down the field with paths between.  These are kept mown as part of the deal, though some strim theirs.  I would recommend some paths between plots as people tend to walk across the site.

We have had pigs on the edge of the site who are great for disposing of weeds and excess marrows.  They love dandelions!!