value of crops grown

[philistine]

With both food & plot rents rising, how much can you now save by growing your on food

[philistine]

[goodlife]

Oh 'tons'.
For me it is not only the money that I'm saving..but...it is the quality of the food. I know the food I've grown has plenty of vitamins and minerals in them as they've been grown in soil that is not 'enriched' with artificial chemicals and sprays.
If I were to buy veg that would have been grown in 'healthy' soils...the amount of potential money 'saved' would be even bigger.

Last two months I've been picking and eating apples (and this is from just one tree)every day...getting through few daily...
Supermarkets sell British apples approx. £1.50 per six (with added 'goodies'). I can safely say we eat at least 10 per week..that would cost us at least £3 per week...over last two months it would have cost us at least...£24..and that's my 1 year's membership on allotments covered
As its been so mild winter so far...I'm still picking apples straight from tree.. ..I have loads in storage to last us for weeks      All that from just one tree!!!!
And I haven't even touch the value of other fruit and veg I'll be saving through out the year...that one tree has 'paid' the year's allotment cost already so rest of the crop is practically 'free'. ...or PROFIT!
As I have over 30 different fruit trees on my plots...+ all other things I grow...I should be rich by now 
And I am...RICH in life 

On a serious note.... the amount of fruit and veg we eat..I could easily spend £15-20 per week if brought from supermarket. I can easily feed us what I grow for at least  6 months of the year ..in reality it is more...so even with lower estimate we would spend at least £360 over 6 months for shopping 'rubbish' fruit and veg!

[Palustris]

Agree with all of the above. BUT, if one was starting from scratch and you had to buy all the equipment needed then it does take a while for their to be a fiscal benefit from growing ones own.
You also have to factor in the cost of seeds, fertiliser (organic or otherwise) and transport if the Allotment is away from the house.
You also need to include the cost of storage. We have three freezers which all cost to run. They are admittedly full to the brim of home grown and frozen food which we otherwise would have to buy, but they do have to be paid for in terms of electricity.

[goodlife]

Storage of the good can be costly job...and in that I cut back drastically few years ago. I only freeze quantity of berries that I know we eat during winter...other than that I rely on keeping produce on land as long as possible and stored in shed for later on....and it has worked fine.  I have time to process during summer and autumn..gets cooked as 'finished' meals and frozen to be eaten later on.
I find all the process of preparing veg for freezing too time and energy consuming.
As for cost of seeds...that doesn't have to be expensive experience...one can grow allotment full of food with just few pounds worth of seeds...did I just say that!!!....I should follow my own advise... ...I did say 'CAN'

Fertilizers, composts etc...hmm..yes, it can get costly with those..but if one does grow in a way that it is beneficial to the soil fauna...actually very little is needed...but to get to that stage is not instant and one has to find out first how it is to be done and work towards it.

Going back to my calculations...I was being VERY conservative with the 'profits'..and in good year I could cover most of my fruit and veg needs over 11 months...whole year, if I really would put my mind to it. Even if I would spend all of the calculated £360 pound 'profit', it would still leave me several months worth of 'savings' to benefit from.
End of the day...there is more to the 'value' and one has to do something one's time or life would be very boring..I rather benefit from my time rather than buy it all ready made. If I would be growing my food for just sake of 'saving money'..I could/would not do it..it d**n hard work, one has to like doing it and find other reason to it too. Healthy life cannot be measured with money...

[claybasket]

I agree with you Goodlife ,also so we know were the food on the table came from ! no storage! no traveling for miles! better tasting veg, fruits, eggs, and  exersize and friendships the benefits are wonderfull the excitement when the seed bust out the pots ,ground, maybe its just me being half mad! so the OH keeps saying  I was so happy to give friends and family  home made jams and chutney, all growin  from the allotment ! that's why there it waiting lists for lotty's !  we are lucky !

[kippers garden]

Between 1st January 2011 and 31st December 2011, when I was cultivating three plots (I now have four plots), I worked out how much money I saved by growing my own fruit and vegetables during the year.  When I picked any fruit or vegetables I weighed them the same day and worked out how much they would have cost me if I'd bought the 'value' version from my local supermarket and made a note of this on a spreadsheet.  I picked the cheapest priced fruit and vegetables to work the cost out, as this is what I would have to buy if I didn't grow it myself, even though my vegetables were grown organically.

By the end of the year I had picked and used £1454.53 of fruit and vegetables and this didn't include things which you just can't buy from the supermarkets e.g. patty pans, khol rabi and fresh gherkins etc.  So I decided it definately pays to 'grow your own'.

[goodlife]

Between 1st January 2011 and 31st December 2011, when I was cultivating three plots (I now have four plots), I worked out how much money I saved by growing my own fruit and vegetables during the year.  When I picked any fruit or vegetables I weighed them the same day and worked out how much they would have cost me if I'd bought the 'value' version from my local supermarket and made a note of this on a spreadsheet.  I picked the cheapest priced fruit and vegetables to work the cost out, as this is what I would have to buy if I didn't grow it myself, even though my vegetables were grown organically.

By the end of the year I had picked and used £1454.53 of fruit and vegetables and this didn't include things which you just can't buy from the supermarkets e.g. patty pans, khol rabi and fresh gherkins etc.  So I decided it definately pays to 'grow your own'.

Wow..well done doing that! 
I wouldn't eat such a variety nor quantity of 'good stuff' if I would have buy it all. I could not afford to buy it all! Particularly berries are very expensive.....or good old rhubarb...you pay pounds for just one small sad looking bundle.
Not growing my own would mean that I could not pick bowl full of something and gift it away...it would be rather silly to go visit friend with shop bought punnet of few berries....not quite same thing...

[5rod]

hi all
anybody thinking that growing your own save you money
must be doing things different to me.
when you have cost of plot rent, time spent, compost, fertilizer
seeds ,onion sets ,pot ,heaters, lights ,ect
its just lucky I enjoy it ,hope you all have  a good year growing
be lucky     

                      5 rod

[BarriedaleNick]

I dont spend that much on pot 5 rod!!

Only joking - it really depends on what you grow and how you value your time.  Time spent on my plot helps keep me fit and sane and is a great social focus too.  I ask for plot related gifts for birthdays and Christmas and generally try to be as cheap as possible when it comes to the plot.  Free manure, free bags of council leaves, use all sorts of odd containers, try to cycle to the plot etc..
Seeds do get me though - cant resist a good seed purchase.
I dont say that I save much but to be honest I love my plot and value it greatly for many reasons

[Pescador]

It is not overly difficult to  get a profit of over £1000 from a 10 rod plot, even with a full time job.
It will depend on what crops you grow, how well you plan, how you ensure continuity (and I haven't costed in freezer costs).
I  made a £688 in 2012, but didnt keep records in 2013. However I will try to again this year and report back

[Borlotti]

I enjoy my plot and the exercise and the friends I have made.  Sweet peas and cut flowers every day in summer, raspberry jam and strawberries.  Courgettes that I give away.  Think it is a very cheap, healthy hobby.  I am sure that my lovely peas were not too cost effective, as Birds Eye do a big bag, but my peas were loved, and I do now appreciate how much work goes into getting a small amount.  I just love seeing things grow.  Only 2 figs from my fig tree this year, loads and loads of pears, cooking apples, mint, rosemary, spinach, I could go on.  Can't believe people buy mint, as it grows everywhere.  Should have planted it in a pot, and the bay tree has got too big. Tomorrow, will see if my leeks are doing OK. 

[lottie lou]

I'm with Borlotti on this.  I am certain I don't even cover my costs in veg and fruit but then what price friendship or the proud feeling you get when you can say "would you like to try my....." and reciprocal offers of goodies.

[kt.]

Savings & value of harvests would depend on what you grow.  Soft fruits are very expensive so we grow loads of these but carrots are so cheap and we never grow these.  The more expensive something is to buy in the shop the better off you would be growing it, more so if space is limited.  Savings can also be made by fast growing crops where you can grow multiples of in a shorter space of time.  I have not recorded my crops value this past 2 years due to work but I would say we save in excess of £1000 per year. I intend to record again from 2013.....

[Obelixx]

I have never worked out the costs as I'm more interested in my fruit and veg being fresh and organic.  I also don't have an allotment requiring rents but I do have a veggie patch and grow damsons, tayberries and loganberies which I can't get in Belgium plus raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, black and redcurrants which cost a fortune in shops.   I'm still waiting for my bilberries to get big enough to crop and I have a purple gooseberry for OH.

I grow rhubarb so I can force some every year and then purple sprouting broccoli, kale, cavolo nero and Swiss chard which I don't see in shops here plus assorted salads and usually some red onions, fennel and Chinese greens.  I also grow a selection of pumpkins and chillies most years as the range in shops is limited.

I have given up on beets and carrots and the one time I tried parsnips they grew too large too quickly so I buy organic ones occasionally.    As for equipment, all of it is used for the flower garden too so no extra costs there.  I do spend a fair amount feeding the birds all year as they then stick around and hoover up unwanted guests on my crops - caterpillars and aphids and so on.

[Buster54]

You cant put a price on enjoyment and fresh fruit and veg

[Borlotti]

Saw some raspberries in Morrisons today for £3.99 a small pannet.  My freezer is full of them and loads and loads of raspberry jam.  I cut them all back last year, and now they are spreading all over the allotment.  OH is moaning (like men like to do) as we have run out of strawberry jam (my strawberries did well last year) and he doesn't like raspberry jam.  Loads and loads of cooking apples, that I have made into apple sauce.  Went to the allotment and it looks very sad, and wet.  All I got was some everlasting spinach, a bit of broccoli, and 4 small leeks.  Cooked together in a saucepan and enough vegs to go with pork chops, with my apple sauce.  Didn't grow many pots. and they are quite expensive to buy. The blackcurrant and redcurrant bushes were on the allotment when I got it 10 years ago (and we cut them right back last year) so had no berries.  Year before tried to give the redcurrants away but no-one wanted them.  Roll on summer, and I am only to plant things we like to eat.  Still got tomato puree, gooseberry chutney and rhubard probably from the year before.  I don't care as I enjoy my allotment and really miss my daily trip for a good chat and to see what has grown overnight. I can't believe I really miss courgettes.  Nearly out of frozen runner beans, as they were rubbish this year.

[Vinlander]

A sensible measure of increasing your savings involves comparing the work to the value of the crop (it's probably impossible to make much of a profit).

It's not worth growing anything that is a) little affected or b) improved in storage (pears are a good example of the latter).

As to a) I only grow the hybrid grapes with their exotic flavours, and there's absolutely no point growing the same apples you find in the supermarket - there are dozens of much better tasting apples that aren't quite commercially viable... there's more flavour in one Ashmeads  Kernel than in a kilo of shop Coxes.

If you are worried about pesticide residues then anything you grow is an improvement - unless you don't eat the skin... but for this reason it's really not worth growing melons - especially considering the poor return.

High value crops like asparagus and artichokes are worth it if you have lots of space - they don't take much time.

There are hundreds of examples of ways to apply the rules above.

One more: neither hot chillies nor sweet peppers are worth growing - they are dirt-cheap through the whole season when yours are ready - but semi-hot ones are hard to find and have more flavour than either.

Cheers.